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German broadcaster will probe antisemitism allegations against Arabic-language staff

By Asaf Shalev

(JTA) — A German government-owned news broadcaster has launched an investigation into a report that four of its employees and one freelancer made social media comments that downplay the Holocaust and promote antisemitism.

The five individuals, members of Deutsche Welle’s Arabic service, are being suspended from work until the investigation is concluded, the news service announced on Friday. 

Leading the investigation will be two independent experts, former German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and psychologist Ahmad Mansour.

The comments, posted in private social media accounts, surfaced this week in coverage by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. 

Deutsche Welle requires its employees to abide by a set of ethical principles that includes a commitment to Israel’s right to exist and a rejection of antisemitism. The comments that appeared in Sueddeutsche Zeitung violate those principles, according to Peter Limbourg, Deutsche Welle’s director general. 

“The private statements made by some DW employees that were quoted in the press are incompatible with the values which we all stand for at DW,” Limbourg said. 

Deutsche Welle reported the investigators will both examine what had occurred and recommend how to avoid similar incidents from occurring again. 

The New York Times updates style guide to ‘antisemitism,’ losing the hyphen

By Shira Hanau

(JTA) — The New York Times has updated its style guide and now favors the use of the spelling “antisemitism” over “anti-Semitism.”

The change was made in August but was not announced publicly at the time. Jewish Insider reported the change Tuesday.

The spelling of the term has been the subject of debate for years. One of the loudest voices for dropping the hyphen has been Deborah Lipstadt, the historian who was recently nominated by the Biden administration as the State Department’s antisemitism envoy. Lipstadt has argued that keeping the hyphen and capital “S” implies the existence of a racial category called “Semite” that obscures actual hatred of Jews. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and the Anti-Defamation League also support the hyphen-less version.

Earlier this year, the Associated Press updated its style guide, which is used by media around the world, including this one, to adopt the hyphen-less version of the word. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency followed suit and The Times adopted the change in August, which it announced in a memo to editors at the paper.

“We are dropping the hyphen and lowercasing the S, which is now the style of The Associated Press and is preferred by many academics and other experts. Those who favor antisemitism argue that the hyphenated form, with the uppercase S, may inadvertently lend credence to the discredited notion of Jews as a separate race,” the memo stated.

Pennsylvania governor announces $6.6 million in state funding to redevelop Tree of Life site

By Shira Hanau

(JTA) — Pennsylvania will allocate $6.6 million in funding for the redevelopment of the Tree of Life synagogue campus where 11 people were killed in an antisemitic attack in 2018.

Speaking at a press conference outside the synagogue Monday, the last day of Chanukah, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfe called the state’s contribution to the renovation “a Chanukah present.”

“Tree of Life is undertaking a project to remember the past, to inform the present, and promote healing for the future,” Wolf said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “And I am so proud to support the communities’ efforts to reimagine this space, to create a welcoming place for residents, for visitors in Pittsburgh to reflect, and to learn, and to grow.”

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, rabbi of the Tree of Life synagogue, also acknowledged the holiday in his remarks and with the menorah he presented to Wolfe as a gift.

“Chanukah means rededication,” Myers said. “And that is indeed the journey that we are on.”

The money from the state will be used to renovate the synagogue’s main sanctuary as well as to replace the synagogue’s chapel, which was where several of the victims of the attack were killed. The synagogue will also build a garden outside the synagogue as a memorial to the 11 victims of the attack.

Maccabiah games in Israel back on track, slated for July

(JNS) — The largest Jewish athletic tournament in the world will take place in Israel this summer after being canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Maccabiah games, which has been referred to as the “Jewish Olympics,” will be held from July 12 to July 26 across Jerusalem, Haifa and Netanya. The competition is the third-largest sporting event in the world and takes place every four years in Israel.

The event is organized by the Maccabi World Union, the largest and longest-running Jewish sports organization, which spans more than 60 countries, 450 clubs and 400,000 members.

“The principal mission of the Maccabiah is to facilitate a worldwide gathering of young Jewish athletes in Israel, staging the highest possible levels of sports competitions, and strengthening their connection to the State of Israel and the Jewish people,” according to the event’s website.

Four separate competitions take place as part of the Maccabiah; Open, Junior, Masters and Paralympics. Any qualifying athlete between the ages of 15-18 can compete in the Junior category. Masters are separated into a variety of different age categories, to accommodate older participants, and the Open division “is generally unlimited in age, subject to the governing international rules in each sport, and is intended for the best athletes from each delegation.”

The Maccabiah program also provides athletes with the opportunity to tour Israel and engage with Israeli society by participating in cultural events.

The first Maccabiah took place in 1932.

Michigan Holocaust museum receives $15 million gift, single largest in its history

(JNS) — The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus in Farmington Hills, Mich., has been given a $15 million donation that will go towards an endowment fund to support the museum for years to come.

The donation was from the Zekelman family and Zekelman Industries, it was announced on Tuesday. The Holocaust Memorial Center said the amount will go towards its $100 million comprehensive campaign to establish a permanent endowment fund for the museum.

The gift is the largest single charitable donation in the center’s history.

“This major donation will enable us to expand the important work we do to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and confront anti-Semitism and hatred,” said Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO of the Holocaust Memorial Center.

Barry Zekelman, chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries, noted that “with anti-Semitism and hate crimes on the rise, we feel a sense of urgency to help organizations, like the Holocaust Memorial Center, that are passionately working to combat it.”

The Zekelman family and Zekelman Industries are longtime supporters of the Holocaust Memorial Center. A $10 million gift from them in 2006 helped reduce the center’s debts after it built its new campus in Farmington Hills, reported The Detroit News.

The 55,000-square-foot museum, with an exterior that resembles concentration-camp prison stripes, and its library archive serve more than 100,000 visitors a year.

US announces largest-ever seizure of Iranian fuel and arms shipments

(JNS) — The U.S. Department of Justice announced the seizure of two large caches of Iranian arms on Tuesday, including 171 surface-to-air missiles and eight anti-tank missiles.

The U.S. Navy captured the weapons from two ships in the Arabian Sea sent by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its Houthi allies in Yemen, said the Justice Department in a statement.

The Navy also seized Iranian petroleum products from four foreign-flagged tankers in the same area while traveling to Venezuela, according to the statement.

It marks the largest-ever seizure of Iranian fuel and arms shipments.

The U.S. government sold the fuel products for more than $26 million; at least some of the funds may go to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

“The actions of the United States in these two cases strike a resounding blow to the Government of Iran and to the criminal networks supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to use all available tools to combat the threats posed by terrorist organizations and all those who seek to harm the United States and its allies.”

Iran nuclear talks to resume in Vienna

(JNS) — Talks on Iran and its controversial nuclear program are slated to resume on Thursday in Vienna, Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service Enrique Mora tweeted on Wednesday.

Mora said the seventh series of discussions centered on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action will continue “after consultations in and among capitals. A joint commission and a number of bilateral and multilateral contacts will take place.”

The current round of negotiations began on Nov. 29 after a five-month break.

They were suspended on Friday after American officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said Iran was not taking a serious approach to the efforts, reported Reuters.

CIA director William Burns echoed those comments, stating on Tuesday that the Iranians “have not been taking the negotiation seriously at this point.”

European diplomats also struck a pessimistic tone over what they noted as unreasonable Iranian demands.

China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Russia are participating in the direct talks, while American diplomats are in Vienna and are being briefed on the meetings.

Outgoing Tanzanian envoy: Israel experience ‘one of the greatest turning points in my career’

(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Outgoing Tanzanian Ambassador to Israel Job Daudi Masima, his spouse, Mrs. Yohana Joan Masima, and the members of the Embassy of Tanzania organized a reception at Amphorae Winery in Kerem Maharal in northern Israel this week, in honor of Tanzania’s 60th Independence Day.

“One of the greatest turning points in my career was leaving for Israel as the first Ambassador of Tanzania to Israel. The most important achievement was becoming the first resident ambassador to Israel,” Masima, who will soon end his tenure in Israel after five years, said.

The ambassador also hosted Minister of Regional Cooperation Esawi Frej and various other dignitaries, media officials and tour operators for a golf tournament at the Caesarea Golf Club.

According to a statement released after the events, “Frej spoke about the special ties between the countries and the importance of continuing to strengthen them. He expressed hope that tourism would return as soon as possible and promised during his tenure to further establish ties and bring students from Tanzania to Israel. The minister thanked Ambassador Masima for his many activities to cultivate ties between Tanzania and Israel.”

Israeli foreign minister meets with Egyptian president in Cairo

(JNS) — Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met on Thursday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, according to a statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Upon his arrival at Cairo International Airport, Lapid was received by Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Nabil Habashi. During his visit, he is also scheduled to meet with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shekari.

In a gesture aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries, Lapid, in coordination with the Israel Antiquities Authority, will return Egyptian archeological items seized in Israel, according to the Foreign Ministry. IAA director Eli Escosido is a member of the Israeli delegation.

“Strengthening Israel-Egypt relations from a political-security point of view is a very important interest of the State of Israel. Foreign Minister Lapid’s visit is a continuation of the Israeli government’s foreign policy to leverage the common interests of regional stability,” the Foreign Ministry statement said.

Big Four auditors ditch NGOs listed as terror groups by Israel

(JNS) — PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young Global Limited, two of the Big Four accounting firms, have confirmed that they will no longer audit two Palestinian NGO recently designated as terrorist organizations by Israel.

EY is no longer auditing the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and PwC confirmed it no longer audits accounts for Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI-P), reported U.K. Lawyers for Israel in a statement.

The NGOs are two of six Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz listed as terror organizations on Oct. 22 for their close ties with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

“Those organizations were active under the cover of civil society organizations, but in practice belong and constitute an arm of the [PFLP] leadership, the main activity of which is the liberation of Palestine and destruction of Israel,” said Gantz.

EY ceased auditing UAWC even though it only took over the contract in May 2019. PricewaterhouseCoopers had audited DCI-P since 2014, according to UKLFI.

Philadelphia official accused of making antisemitic comments resigns

By Shira Hanau

(JTA) — A top official in Philadelphia’s city government resigned Sunday after making antisemitic remarks, including referring to the Holocaust movie “Schindler’s List” as “Jewish propaganda,” and creating a hostile environment for staff, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Michael Rashid had served as director of commerce for the city of Philadelphia since November 2020.

“Today I offered, and Mayor [Jim] Kenney accepted, my resignation as Director of Commerce. My continued service would serve as a distraction from the work of the Department, which is far too important to the City and region,” Rashid said in a statement. “I also have had the opportunity to speak with leaders of the Jewish community in Philadelphia and apologize for my previous comments which were inappropriate and insensitive. I look forward to future engagement with the community going forward.”

Several Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish Committee and the local Jewish federation, had called on the mayor to fire Rashid after reports of his comments about “Schindler’s List” as well as his social media posts began to surface. In one Facebook post, Rashid quoted Malcolm X calling Jewish neighborhoods “Jew town,” according to the Philly Voice.

“Kenney, earlier this week, stood side by side with leaders of the Jewish community to condemn the rise of Antisemitism. If there is no room in our City for Antisemitism, as Mayor Kenney said, then Mr. Rashid should be removed from office immediately,” Michael Balaban, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, said in a statement, according to the Jewish Exponent.

Israeli woman stabbed by a teenage girl near East Jerusalem neighborhood Sheikh Jarrah

By Shira Hanau

(JTA) — An Israeli woman was stabbed by a Palestinian teenage girl near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah Wednesday morning in the latest suspected “lone wolf” terror attack in recent weeks.

The woman, 26, was walking her children to school when the girl stabbed her in the back before fleeing the scene. The Israeli woman was taken to the hospital with light wounds. Israeli police arrested the girl, 14, at a school nearby.

“Luckily, they brought her in with the knife still in her back, as they should. She reached the trauma center and we checked her and stabilized her, and we were able to remove the knife,” Dr. Hagi Mazeh, the head of the trauma center at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital, told reporters.

The attack took place just outside of Sheikh Jarrah, the East Jerusalem neighborhood where dozens of Palestinians faced eviction in a case before Israel’s Supreme Court earlier this year and which became a flash point during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in May.

The attack is the latest in a wave of lone wolf attacks in Jerusalem in recent weeks. Earlier this week, a Palestinian teenager rammed a car into a guard station at a West Bank checkpoint and injured a guard before being shot dead by Israeli officers. On Saturday, an Israeli man was stabbed by a Palestinian assailant in the Old City. The attacker was shot and killed at the scene. Last month, a Hamas gunman killed Eliyahu Kay, a 25-year-old Israeli, also in Jerusalem’s Old City.