Brighton Labour councillor Nikkie Brennan vowed not to “bow down to white supremacy” after she was reported for anti-Semitism for describing Israel as racist. She stepped down as deputy chair of housing in March after pictures of her with a placard opposing the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism emerged. Read Here
Please forward to your family and friends and ask them to join the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement today!
THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
WATCH THE WEEKLY CAM NEWSLETTER SUMMARY BELOW
Take action
(1 Piece)
1. THE HEALING ARTS KITS PREVENTING PTSD
By Artists 4 Israel
To save children from the devastating effects of trauma, conflict and crisis through ground-breaking arts-based psychological aid delivered immediately as needed, the Healing Arts Kit is an emergency, psychological first aid kit and a groundbreaking therapeutic system that is the only chance to slow or stop the onset of new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder in children living through rocket fire, terrorist attack or other forms of crises.
Support Healing Arts Kits Here
Special Feature
(3 Pieces)
1. NATIONAL MUSLIM-JEWISH DIGITAL INTERFAITH IFTAR: A COMMON DESTINY FOR HUMANITY
By Combat Anti-Semitism Movement and American Muslim Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council
US and UN officials who participated in the National Muslim-Jewish Interfaith Iftar issued a strong call for communities to join together to defeat anti-Semitism and hatred. Organized by CAM and the American Muslim Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, the event titled “A Common Destiny for Humanity” also featured imams, rabbis, priests and other religious leaders from the Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Zoroastrian and Christian communities. Together, they examined the need for greater tolerance, respect and cooperation especially during the Coronavirus crisis. Watch The Full Video Below
2. New Virus, Old Disease—but There Is a Treatment
By ROBERT SINGER, SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM MOVEMENT & FORMER CEO OF THE WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS
The IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism is clear, succinct and has been adopted by countless government bodies and organizations. Such a framework would simplify the next step: legislating effectively against anti-Semitism. The fight against anti-Semitism can only be transformed from rhetoric into action, if authorities treat anti-Semitic incidents with the utmost seriousness. Read Here
3. CAM Theodor Herzl Take Action Contest: Round 2
By CAM
We want to hear your creative concepts for combatting anti-Semitism! Do you have an out-of-the-box idea to help end anti-Semitism? Think you have what it takes to win? Join our Venture Creative Contest and submit your idea on how to combat anti-Semitism. Successful entrants can win up to $50,000 to implement their social venture projects.
UNITED STATES
(7 Articles)
1. White Nationalist Stickers Placed Near Wiesenthal Center
By Aaron Bandler
A series of stickers advertising a white nationalist group were found across the street from the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance. There were three stickers on streetlight poles emblazoned with the Patriot Front logo. The Patriot Front is a white supremacist group aiming to preserve “America’s identity as a European-American identity.” Read Here
2. Dozens of windows shattered at synagogue in Peoria, Ill.
By Faygie Holt
Police in Peoria, Ill., are investigating nine broken windows at a synagogue in the city. Authorities believe the windows at Congregation Anshai Emeth were broken by either rocks or bricks. Among the rooms impacted were classrooms and a kitchen. Read Here
3. Man seen writing anti-Semitic remarks on J train in Brooklyn
By bklyner
Cops are investigating an act of anti-Semitism where a man was recorded making graffiti onboard the J train heading toward Williamsburg. An unidentified man was drawing graffiti inside a southbound J train at the Bowery Street Station. The man wrote, “F*ck the Jews” and “Go to hell Donald Trump.” Read Here
4. Police: Aryan Brotherhood member sought to target Kent State Jews
By JANE KAUFMAN
A man who carried an anti-Semitic sign at a Columbus, OH protest – showing the image of a rat with a star of David – walked into a Stow convenience store with a hatchet and a machete, asking where the Jews were, then said he was heading to Kent State University in Kent to find Jews. Read Here
5. Rep. Ilhan Omar says Israel and Saudi Arabia both have too much influence on Trump administration
By MARCY OSTER
Rep. Ilhan Omar likened Saudi Arabia’s influence on the Trump administration to Israel’s, saying both countries relied in part on money to bring about their preferred outcomes. “There’s an alarming connection to the really destructive policies Israel is proposing and how much of it is being rubber stamped by this administration. And how much of it is being urged by Americans who have connection and influence with this administration.” Read Here
6. Arrest made in McAllen, TX synagogue vandalism
By Dina Arévalo
An arrest has been made in the three cases of vandalizing at places of worship in Hidalgo County. According to Lt. Joel Morales of the McAllen Police Department, a woman was arrested in connection with the vandalism involving a synagogue in McAllen. Read Here
7. Bench near Minneapolis synagogue vandalized with swastikas
By JOSEFIN DOLSTEN
A bus stop near a synagogue in Minneapolis was vandalized with swastikas. The graffiti was discovered on a bench outside Shir Tikvah Congregation. Across the street, “Seig Heil, Heil Hitler, Trump 2020” was written on a traffic utility case, the synagogue said in a message to congregants. Read Here
WORLD News
(4 Pieces)
1. IN-DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE UK
Labour councillor investigated for alleged anti-Semitism slammed ‘white supremacy’
By Jo Wadsworth
Anti-Semitic Banner Taken Down in London Neighborhood
By Algemeiner Staff
An anti-Semitic banner was removed from a London building, leading to praise from local politicians. The banner — reading “Welcome to the Zionist police state” — was hung below a window of a home overlooking a Jewish cemetery in the Mile End neighborhood. Read Here
POLICE INVESTIGATING AFTER HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR TOLD “WE WILL THEN KILL MORE OF YOU” IN ARABIC THREATS OVER TWITTER
By CAA
Police are investigating after a Holocaust survivor was told “we will then kill more of you” in messages on Twitter sent by a user calling himself Ahmed Bassamin Arabic. The user sent five threatening tweets to Agnes Grunwald-Spier, a Holocaust survivor. The first tweet read: “Warning [you]: we haven’t finished with you yet. We will cut your heads off or blow them up into shreds until you leave our land.” Read Here
“ALL JEWS MUST DIE!”, MAN SHOUTS AT JEWISH PEDESTRIAN IN STAMFORD HILL
By CAA
A male suspect shouted “All Jews must die!” at a visibly Jewish pedestrian in the Stamford Hill neighborhood of London. The incident took place on St Ann’s Road and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood patrol. Read Here
Starmer ‘ready to launch Wavertree inquiry’ after Labour MP is criticised for expressing regret over Berger exit
By Lee Harpin
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to launch an investigation into Liverpool Wavertree Constituency Labour Party after an email was circulated by local officials attacking their own MP for telling a Jewish newspaper that she regretted the fact that her predecessor Luciana Berger had left the party. Read Here
Government lawyer joined rally featuring call for removal of Jews from Israel
By Lee Harpin
Narjis Khan, a lawyer working for the Government Legal Department, took part in an online Al Quds Day rally that featured a call for Jews to be forcibly removed from Israel by a banned pro-Iran cleric. Joining Ms Khan on the two and a half hour long broadcast was Hashem Al Haydari, deputy commander of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militia group. Read Here
2. IN DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM in germany
German party seeks to ban Iranian-regime center in Hamburg
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
The Christian Democratic Union Party (CDU) in the city-state of Hamburg plans to introduce an initiative to outlaw the Iranian regime-controlled Islamic Center because of its link to the terrorist organization Hezbollah. The spokesman for the CDU in the Hamburg parliament, Dennis Gladiator, said that “all official contact to the Islamic Center of Hamburg should immediately end, an association ban should be examined and introduced…” Read Here
German government urged not to honor Holocaust rescuer with murky record
By CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
More than 200 people are protesting plans in Germany to honor a Holocaust-era official who is said to have both saved and doomed Jews. The call came in a letter that the German ambassador to the Netherlands. It concerned the German government’s reported plans to fund a museum named for Hans Calmeyer in Osnabruck. As a jurist for the Nazi German forces in the Netherlands, Calmeyer was tasked with reviewing ethnicity issues, primarily in appeals by people who were registered as Jews but claimed to be Aryan. Read Here
3. IN DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST
Khamenei explains ‘final solution’ poster: I want Israel destroyed, not all Jews
By TOI STAFF
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he seeks Israel’s destruction but not the annihilation of all Jews. He said Iran would support any nation or group that fights against Israel. Read Here
Iran FM: ‘Disgusting’ for Israel to object to ‘final solution’ poster
By TOI STAFF
Iran’s foreign minister defended an anti-Israel poster shared by the country’s leader that invoked the term “final solution,” after Israeli and US leaders accused him of advocating genocide. Citing the Nazi murder of Jews in the Holocaust, Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was “disgusting” for Israel to object to the poster, which he claimed advocated for a referendum on what type of government Palestinians want. Read Here
Iran’s president orders implementation of law banning all use of Israeli tech
By TOI STAFF
Iranian President Rouhani issued an executive order requiring the implementation of a law that bars any cooperation with Israel, including the use of Israeli software and hardware. The Iranian interior, intelligence, foreign and defense ministries, the Supreme National Security Council and the Judiciary are required to implement the law. The legislation passed by parliament brands any cooperation with Israel as an “act against God.” Read Here
On Quds Day, Iran’s leader says Zionism ‘a virus that must be eliminated’
By TOI Staff
Marking Iran’s anti-Israel Quds Day, Iran’s Supreme Leader said Israel’s establishment was an unequaled “crime against humanity,” repeated his characterization of the Jewish state as “a cancerous tumor” and said it was the creation of “Westerners and Jewish corporation owners.” Citing coronavirus, he likened Zionism to “a virus” that “must be eliminated as soon as possible.” Read Here
Israeli websites hacked in cyberattack: ‘Be ready for a big surprise’
By MICHAEL BACHNER
Hundreds of Israeli websites were targeted in a cyberattack. The affected websites displayed a video of Israeli cities being bombed and messages threatening the destruction of the Jewish state. A video then showed explosions in Tel Aviv and a bloodied Prime Minister Netanyahu swimming away from a burning city. “Israel won’t survive the next 25 years,” read a message at the end of the video. Read Here
Palestinians reject COVID-19 aid from UAE because it was coordinated through Israel
By MARCY OSTER
The Palestinian Authority rejected a humanitarian shipment of medical supplies sent by the United Arab Emirates because it coordinated the shipment with Israel. The Palestinian Authority has had a total of 577 confirmed coronavirus cases and four deaths. Read Here
Anti-Semitism spreads amid coronavirus pandemic in Turkey, group warns
By KRISTINA JOVANOVSKI / THE MEDIA LINE
As Turkey grappled with one of the biggest coronavirus outbreaks in the world, a group of Jewish Turks was noticing another outbreak in the country: anti-Semitism spreading through the media. Dani Albukrek, 21, a Jewish Turk in Istanbul, said Turkish social media users have been promoting conspiracy theories against Jews and Israel, such as claiming they invented the novel coronavirus. Read Here
In Quds Day speech, Nasrallah says Jews must leave Israel
By TOI Staff
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said all Jews must leave Israel, saying the whole region, “from the river to the sea,” is the property of the Palestinians. “While we never said we wanted to throw anyone into the sea, those who flocked to Palestine must leave,” the head of the Lebanese terror organization said in a speech to mark Quds Day. Read Here
Iran is increasingly promoting anti-Semitic Houthi leader from Yemen
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Although Iran’s Foreign Minister and Supreme Leader reject claims that their views are anti-Semitic, they have increasingly been highlighting their Yemenite Houthi allies of the Ansar Allah movement, whose slogan is “curse the Jews.” The Houthi rebels make no secret of their views on Jews. Their official slogan is “God is great, death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory to Islam.” Read Here
4. IN DEPTH: OTHER WORLD NEWS
Jewish-founded golf club sprayed with swastikas in Melbourne
BY EVAN ZLATKIS
Anti-Semitic vandals targeted Melbourne’s Cranbourne Golf Club, drawing swastikas on the club’s green. The incident was witnessed by multiple patrons. The club was founded by a group of Melbourne Jewish men in 1951, providing a base for Jewish golfers who were barred from playing at several other courses in Victoria based on their religion. Read Here
Apology, but auction proceeds
By EVAN ZLATKIS
A Tasmanian auctioneer apologised to “anybody who has been affected” by the sale of Nazi memorabilia, despite proceeding with the auction. Armitage Auctions, which has come under fire for selling other Nazi items, defended the sale of a German eagle crest featuring a swastika, arguing “there are many forms of memorabilia relating to horrific periods in history”, and that “people are interested in artefacts associated with these events”. Read Here
Irish EU Lawmaker Slammed for ‘Explaining’ Anti-Semitism to Jews While Promoting BDS
By Benjamin Kerstein
Clare Daly — a far-left Irish MEP representing Dublin in the European Parliament was criticized after she slammed the European Union of Jewish Students for rebuking her over her participation in a webinar associated with the BDS movement that will include participants linked to Palestinian terrorism and who compared Israel to the Nazis. Read Here
Ukrainian police suspend senior officer who asked for a city’s list of Jews
BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ/JTA
A senior police officer in Ukraine has been suspended for asking a Jewish community for a list of its members. Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov announced the suspension in a letter he sent to the head of the Jewish community of Kolomyya, in the country’s west. Read Here
Attack on Brussels Jewish Museum commemorated six years on
By Alan Hope
A small group of guests led by the chief rabbi of Belgium gathered in the inner courtyard of the Jewish Museum in Brussels to mark the sixth anniversary of the attack in May 2014 that left four people dead. The commemoration was limited by the restrictions of the coronavirus epidemic. Read Here
Belgium plans to end army protection for Antwerp synagogues
BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
Belgium is planning to stop providing soldiers for security around synagogues in Antwerp. The plan would end the army’s protection in the city’s Jewish neighborhood in September. The redeployment is connected with budgetary and manpower issues as COVID-19 has severely impacted the economy and killed more than 9,000 people in Belgium. Read Here
Vienna: BDS activists organize mock execution of Palestinian by IDF soldiers
By i24News
Anti-Israeli activists supporting the BDS campaign organized a mock execution of a Palestinian by men dressed as Israeli soldiers in the heart of Vienna. The Austrian newspaper Heute said the scene took place at Viktor Adler Square in the Austrian capital. Read Here
Jewish families Insulted while hiking in Switzerland
BY Juedische-Allgemein
In Saxon, Switzerland, two Jewish families were disparaged on a walk with Nazi slogans. A person belonging to a group of four men greeted the families with “Heil Hitler!” Officials reportedly took the men’s personal information and opened an investigation. Read Here
White Supremacist Origin of Anti-Semitic, Anti-US Cartoon Promoted by Chinese Embassy in Paris Exposed
By Ben Cohen
A virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic cartoon tweeted by the Chinese Embassy in Paris previously appeared on several websites linked to white supremacists and Holocaust deniers. Accompanied by the text “Who’s next?”, the cartoon showed the figure of death draped in a US flag, holding a scythe with the Star of David, alongside a row of doorways marked with the names of countries such as Syria, Venezuela and Hong Kong — supposedly targets of American and “Zionist” destabilization plots. Read Here
First Jewish president of Brazilian Congress victimized by anti-Semitic slurs online
By MARCUS M. GILBAN
The head of Brazil’s National Congress, the first Jewish lawmaker to hold the post, was a victim of anti-Semitic attacks on social media. The slurs against Sen. Davi Alcolumbre were published on the Facebook profile of a user called Jota Junior. “I hope God continues to enlighten President Bolsonaro because he has a Jew who is at the head of the Senate at his disadvantage. Jews are miserly. Jews are wicked and think only of their well-being.” Read Here
Brazilian Jewish groups slam German comedian for Holocaust joke
By MARCUS M. GILBAN
A German standup comedian made a Holocaust joke followed by a Nazi salute during a performance in Sao Paulo. “On Christmas, we ask for a friend as a gift. Once I got it…He escaped. He was Jewish. I said he escaped, not that he died. He was very fast. You know, if I do this joke in Germany, I’ll be arrested. Letting a Jew escape like this?” Lea Maria Jahn said on stage. “Who here thinks that Germans are Nazis? Please raise your hand,” she continued, raising her own hand in a Nazi salute. Read Here
ON CAMPUS
(4 Articles)
1. Mountain Brook, AL School Board Addresses Anti-Semitic Video
By Michael Seale
The Mountain Brook Board of Education addressed an anti-Semitic video featuring a Mountain Brook student circulating over social media. “The behavior in this video is inexcusable in every context,” the board said in the letter…There should be no place held for even a single incident of hate…” Read Here
2. American association of professors awards women with anti-Israel portfolios
By JNS
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) announced Rabab Abdulhadi, a professor at San Francisco State, as a recipient of the Georgina M. Smith Award and AAUP Rutgers University professor Deepa Kumar as the recipient of the Marilyn Sternberg Award. Both Abdulhadi and Kumar have a history of anti-Israel activism. Read Here
3. Stanford undergraduate student senator re-elected, despite anti-Israel tweets
By JNS
A student has been re-elected to Stanford University’s undergraduate legislative body, despite anti-Semitic tweets being exposed ahead of the election. Mià Bahr, a rising junior, was again elected to the school’s undergraduate senate—the Associated Students of Stanford University. Read Here
4. Pro-BDS interim dean of international affairs school not up for permanent role
By JNS
Amid backlash from Jewish and pro-Israel groups over a faculty member at George Washington University with an anti-Israel history being named interim dean of the university’s Elliott School of International Affairs, the university has stated that she will not be considered for the position on a permanent basis. Read Here
ANALYSIS
(4 Pieces)
1. Anti-Semitism and Antizionism: Why Israel is the Jew among the states
By Jannik Schiller
BDS supporters still argue that Jews are not a people and therefore they have no right of self-determination. Moreover, Jews are still identified with the complexity of modernity. Thus, anti-Semites hate Israel because it is a Jewish state and because it is a modern, liberal and secular state where Jews and non-Jews from all origins have the same rights. Read Here
2. Congress needs to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism
By GENNADY FAVEL
In its explanation of the definition, the IHRA says, “Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.” This becomes a very important statement as many anti-Semitic activists hide behind the terms anti-Israel, or anti-Zionist. Guided by this definition, Congress would have the power to label actions of certain academics, NGOs and even their own members as anti-Semitic. Read Here
3. Suddenly, Human Rights Watch Discovers Anti-Semitism
By Ben Cohen / JNS.org
In the minds of most Jews (and quite a few non-Jews as well), promoting the elimination of the world’s only Jewish state as a just solution to the Palestinian issue is unquestionably anti-Semitic. The BDS movement has been a key contributor to the anti-Semitic atmosphere in Europe — specifically, by portraying Jews as oppressors and violators of human rights, it helped remove the taboo on blatant anti-Semitic rhetoric in society more generally. Read Here
4. Why It’s Important to Adopt the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism
By Aboud Dandachi
If anti-Semitism is to be confronted, the first step is to define it in an unambiguous manner. Not even calling Israel “a cancerous tumor”, as the Iranian president did, would be, under IHRA, considered anti-Semitic. Do Israel’s detractors require speech more hateful than that of Hassan Rouhani to express their opposition to Israel? Detractors of Israel should be the strongest supporters of the IHRA Working Definition, as it clearly lays out that even their obsession with that country does not constitute anti-Semitism. Read Here
STUDIES AND STATISTICS
(4 Pieces)
1. One in five Brits believe anti-Semitic virus conspiracies — survey
By TOI STAFF
Almost 20% of adults in England believe that Jews created the coronavirus for financial gain, according to research conducted at Oxford University. The figures were almost identical when respondents were asked whether they agreed with the statement, “Muslims are spreading the virus as an attack on Western values.” 40% believe to some extent the virus is a deliberate attempt by powerful people to gain control. Read Here
2. ANTI-SEMITIC HATE CRIMES AND INCIDENTS IN HUNGARY 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
By The Brüsszel Intézet (Brussels Institute)
There were 35 incidents of anti-Semitic hate crime identified in 2019. One incident was classified as assault, and 1 as threat, 6 incidents fell into the category of damage to property, and 27 were identified as hate speech. Compared to previous years, this shows a slight increase in the number of incidents. Read Here
3. Anti-Semitism in Ukraine Report for 2019
By UNITED JEWISH COMMUNITY OF UKRAINE
In 2019, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine notes a decrease in the level of anti-Semitism in the country by 27% compared to the previous year but the number of anti-Semitic vandalistic acts has increased: more desecration of Jewish monuments and mass graves, more anti-Semitic inscriptions in public places. There is an increase in government interest on the issue and law enforcement agencies respond more quickly to manifestations of anti-Semitism. Read Here
4. More than 2,000 anti-Semitic crimes in Germany, highest rate since 2001
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
German authorities announced the highest recorded number of anti-Semitic crime since 2001, with more than 2,000 crimes targeting Jews during 2019. The number of anti-Semitic crimes in 2019 was 13% higher than 2018. “Most offenses are assigned to right-wing offenders, the most brutal was the attack by Stephan Balliet on the synagogue in Halle.” Read Here
FEATURED PARTNER
Combat Anti-Semitism is proud to be a partner of the Israel on Campus Coaltion (ICC), a non-profit organization that seeks to inspire American college students to see Israel as a source of pride. Learn more about ICC below.
Report Shows Increase in BDS Campaigns, Disruptions on College Campuses
By Aaron Bandler
A new report from the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) states that there has been an increase in BDS campaigns and disruptions of pro-Israel events on college campuses over the past three years. The total number of “BDS and anti-Israel campaigns” went from 20 in 2016-2017 to 25 in the 2017-2018 academic year and 28 the year after. Over the same timeframe, the number of disruptions of pro-Israel events on campuses increased from to 23. Read Here
Israel on Campus Coalition inspires American college students to see Israel as a source of pride and empowers them to stand up for Israel on campus. Their goal in this effort is to unite the many pro-Israel organizations that operate on campuses across the United States by coordinating strategies, providing educational resources, sharing in-depth research, and increasing collaboration.
PARTNER Content
Robert Singer confirmed as World ORT Chair of Board of Trustees
By ALAN ROSENBAUM
Robert Singer, former CEO of the World Jewish Congress, was confirmed as Chair of the Board of Trustees of World ORT, the global education network which he previously led as CEO. He is believed to be the first person born in the Soviet Union to take on the role. Read Here
After Experiencing Anti-Semitism, This Israeli Nonprofit Leader is Working to Fight it Online
By Deborah Danan
Tomer Aldubi has experienced his fair share of anti-Semitism. In January, Aldubi founded the nonprofit Fighting Online Antisemitism. FOA grew exponentially during the coronavirus pandemic, and now has 70 activists working in 10 languages monitoring websites and social media networks. Since the start of the outbreak, FOA has succeeded in having 55 anti-Semitic posts removed. Read Here
Wiesenthal to Germany, Austria: Recall ambassadors to protest Iran
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
The Simon Wiesenthal Center urged the chancellors of Germany and Austria to recall their ambassadors from the Islamic Republic of Iran after the regime’s supreme leader called for a “final solution” against the Jewish state. “The storm of international criticism should be led by the German and Austrian chancellors. They should explicitly denounce this religious Nazi in Tehran and recall ambassadors for his genocidal threat to Jewish people.” Read Here
B’nai Brith Releases New Policy Paper on Confronting COVID-19-Inspired Anti-Semitism
By B’nai Brith Canada
Concerned over the rise in COVID-19-inspired anti-Semitism, B’nai Brith Canada is addressing disinformation and conspiracy theories directed at the Jewish community, and urging government leadership to take action. B’nai Brith has released a new policy paper, outlining how governments can address the growing issue of COVID-19-inspired anti-Semitism. Read Here
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. Trump to sign Never Again Education Act into law
By JNS
President Trump is expected to sign the Never Again Education Act, which seeks to expand Holocaust education, into law. The House of Representatives passed the legislation in January, while the U.S. Senate did so in May. The official signing, which will occur in a private ceremony with no outside guests due to the pandemic, comes during Jewish American Heritage Month. Read Here
2. Pompeo accuses Iran of ‘echoing Hitler’s calls for genocide’
By TOI STAFF
US Secretary of State Pompeo accused the Iranian leadership of “echoing Hitler’s call for genocide” after Iran’s Supreme Leader called for “eliminating the Zionist regime.” It is “incredible” that Iran’s foreign minister and Khamenei “are echoing Hitler’s call for genocide,” Pompeo tweeted. “This depravity should dispel any notion the regime belongs in the community of nations. We stand with Germany and Israel against this oldest & most vile form of hatred, and say #NeverAgain.” Read Here
3. Joe Biden says Democrats must condemn anti-Semitic criticism
By Emily Jacobs
Democratic nominee Joe Biden said Democrats need to condemn when criticism of policies in Israel morph into anti-Semitism, including when it comes from the liberal wing of the party. He argued that while anyone can criticize Israel over policy disagreements, anti-Semitism must always be condemned. “Criticism of Israel’s policy is not anti-Semitism, but too often that criticism from the left morphs into anti-Semitism.” Read Here
4. Oklahoma Legislature Passes Anti-BDS Law
By Aaron Bandler
The Oklahoma State Senate passed a law on barring the state government from providing contracts to companies that boycott Israel. The law also would prevent the state government from leveraging an entity to boycott Israel. The bill doesn’t apply to contracts valued below $100,000. Read Here
5. Former Iranian intelligence chief ‘involved in’ deadly bombings of Jewish targets is hit with US sanctions
By MARCY OSTER
Ali Fallahian, the former head of Iran’s intelligence service, involved in a 1995 suicide bombing in Israel that killed an American student and the 1994 AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires is among the new targets of U.S. financial sanctions and visa restrictions. He and his immediate family are barred from entering the US. Read Here
6. Bills pass on anti-Semitism envoy, assistance to Israel, marking Dachau liberation
By JNS
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed bills benefiting the Jewish and pro-Israel community, and instilling a resolution to remember the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. One bill would elevate the position of U.S. special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism to an ambassador-level role, thereby requiring Senate confirmation. Read Here
7. Lawmakers urge VA chief to remove swastika from German POW gravestones at military cemetery
By Marcy Oster
Lawmakers from two House committees used Memorial Day weekend to call for the removal of gravestones from a military cemetery that are inscribed with Nazi symbols and sentiments. The four lawmakers sent the bipartisan request to Veterans Affairs Secretary Wilkie. They include the top Democrat and Republican on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Read Here
8. Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against New Jersey Township Over ‘Anti-Semitic Conduct’ Toward Orthodox Jews
By Algemeiner Staff
Jackson Township, New Jersey was the focus of a new Justice Department lawsuit that charged its planning board with “religious discrimination” and “anti-Semitic conduct” toward Orthodox Jewish residents. The lawsuit alleges the town’s planning board implemented two zoning ordinances that intentionally restricted the operation of religious schools. Read Here
9. German government condemns Iran’s call to ‘destroy Israel’
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
Germany’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Supreme Leader of Iran in a statement saying, “The federal government sharply condemns all glorification and legitimizing of terror, calls for the annihilation of Israel, inciting terrorist acts or spreading anti-Semitic content. Such hostile comments to Israel are in no way acceptable. Israel’s right to exist is not negotiable…” Read Here
10. EU Diplomatic Chief Slams Iran Threat To Israel
By Agence France Presse
Josep Borrell, European Union foreign policy chief, condemned a threat against Israel from Iran’s supreme leader as a threat to world peace. He took to Twitter after Khamenei’s comments. “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the call by the Iranian Supreme Leader to fight Israel. This is a threat to international peace and security. The security of Israel is of paramount importance and the EU will stand at its side.” Read Here
11. Israeli Minister Urges Twitter to Suspend Account of Iran’s Ayatollah for Hate Speech, Incitement
By Benjamin Kerstein
Israel’s minister of strategic affairs and public diplomacy Orit Farkash Hacohen wrote a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, urging him to suspend the account of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over his anti-Semitic tweets and incitement to violence. In the letter she wrote that the social media giant should “…enable the free flow of ideas, but not those which call for violence, anti-Semitism, or hate speech against a nation or its people.” Read Here
12. PA bowing to EU pressure amends educational curriculum
By i24News
The Palestinian Authority cabinet, under pressure from the EU and national European governments, has agreed to amend the educational curriculum in Palestinian schools. The PA’s decision comes after the European Parliament passed a resolution criticizing “problematic materials” in Palestinian textbooks. Read Here
13. Norwegian MPs reject bill seeking to label settlement goods
By Israel Hayom
The Norwegian Parliament rejected a bill to label imported Israeli products manufactured in Judea and Samaria. The draft legislation was presented by left-wing parties, but was voted down by the coalition parties and other non-affiliated parties. The MPs opposing the bill stressed that any boycott of Israeli companies based in Judea and Samaria would actually harm the Palestinian workers that Norway wants to help. Read Here
14. Uruguay President Open to Possible Terror Blacklisting of Hezbollah
By Benjamin Kerstein
The president of Uruguay expressed openness to the possibility of designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Participating in a webinar organized by the American Jewish Committee, President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou was asked whether he would follow other Latin American countries in blacklisting the Iran-backed Lebanese group. Read Here
HUMANITY
(8 Pieces)
1. French Leaders Denounce Arab Boycott of Israel
By Aaron Bandler
French leaders issued a statement calling for Arab countries to end their boycotts of Israel. The 85 leaders, which included former prime ministers and members of parliament, said the boycott only served to embolden extremists and incite hostility toward Israel. “…Since the 2000s, we have been confronted with the instrumentalization of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on our national territory. This has resulted in an unprecedented explosion of anti-Semitic acts on French soil.” Read Here
2. Jerusalem united like never before
By Shai Doron
It was amazing to see the mobilization of Jerusalem’s friends to help in this emergency. Situations that we couldn’t have anticipated of ultra-Orthodox volunteers packing food baskets for Arabs so they could break their fast for Ramadan with a proper meal, and Arabs from east Jerusalem who volunteered to purchase medication for the elderly, from all sectors, who could not leave their homes. Read Here
3. Presidents of Israel, Poland honor oldest surviving ‘Righteous Among Nations’
By AP
The presidents of Israel and Poland sent birthday greetings to a 101-year-old Polish woman who is believed to be the be oldest living person recognized by Yad Vashem for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust. Reuven Rivlin of Israel and Andrzej Duda of Poland praised Anna Kozminska in separate letters for her courage in risking her own life to help Jews. Read Here
4. Israeli scientists: Gaucher’s disease drugs effective against coronavirus
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
Scientists from the Israel Institute for Biological Research say that the analogues of two drugs designed to treat Gaucher’s disease are effective against coronavirus and can potentially serve as a broad-spectrum antiviral therapy for SARS-CoV-2 in a future outbreak. Read Here
5. Made-in-Israel anti-pathogen mask ‘Registered for Marketing’ by FDA
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
An Israeli start-up, Sonovia developed an almost-permanent, ultrasonic, fabric-finishing technology for mechanical impregnation of zinc oxide nanoparticles into textiles. It has undergone extensive tests which showed a 98% success rate for stopping aerosol droplets that World Health Organization officials think are transmitting the contagion. Read Here
6. Israeli leaders bid Muslims happy Eid al-Fitr, praise joint handling of pandemic
By JNS
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and other prominent figures took to social media to extend greetings to Israel’s Muslims in honor of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of the month of Ramadan. Rivlin addressed his “warmest greeting on Eid al-Fitr” to “Israelis of the Muslim faith” in a message on social media. Read Here
7. Swedish imam and rabbi issue joint peace statement to mark Eid, Shavuot
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDS
An imam and a rabbi in Malmo, Sweden are looking to bring their two communities closer together through the sharing of their faiths. The Muslim holiday of Eid el fitr and the Jewish holiday of Shavuot both fall in the same week. Rabbi Moshe David HaCohen and Imam Salahuddin Baraka used the occasion to issue a joint statement of unity in these difficult times. Read Here
8. Israeli MDs fly to enemy Sudan in failed bid to save diplomat behind secret ties
By TOI Staff
Israel sent a plane with medical staff and equipment to Sudan in an attempt to save the life of a diplomat sick with COVID-19, who managed the clandestine ties between Jerusalem and Khartoum. But 24 hours after their arrival, Najwa Gadaheldam passed away, just days after contracting the virus. The plane landed in Khartoum carrying medical staff and equipment. The visiting team planned to transport Gadaheldam to Israel for treatment, but arrived too late, when she was already in critical condition. Read Here
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“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.”
