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Israel appoints first female attorney general

(JNS) — The Israeli Cabinet on Monday approved the appointment of Gali Baharav-Miara as attorney general, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“This is one of the most important and sensitive appointments in the public service,” said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the start of the Cabinet meeting at which Baharav-Miara’s appointment was finalized.

“At this time, given the erosion of public confidence in law enforcement, there is an important opportunity here to maintain what needs to be maintained and to correct what needs to be corrected,” added Bennett, who, along with Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar, recommended Baharav-Miara for the post. Hers had been among three names submitted by the selection committee, chaired by former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis.

“We need a good, strong and serious establishment that the public will trust,” Bennett continued. “Moreover, the basic role of the attorney general is to assist the government in implementing its policy in the framework of the confines of the law. The government is here to govern, to function, to work for the benefit of the citizens of the state and to take the country forward.”

Bennett also highlighted the fact that, “for the first time, the State of Israel will have a female attorney general. Our government sees all citizens of Israel, women and men, as being able to achieve anything.”

Baharav-Miara, formerly Tel Aviv District Attorney for Civil Affairs, replaces Avichai Mandelbit, whose term as attorney general ended on Jan. 31.

Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation approves upgraded ‘Photoshop Law’

By Eran Swissa

(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday approved an upgraded version of the so-called “Photoshop Law,” proposed by Knesset member Limor Magen-Telem (Yisrael Beiteinu).

The original law, which went into effect in 2013, requires adult fashion and commercial models to have a body-mass index of at least 18.5. It also requires images that have been altered or digitally manipulated to be clearly marked as such.

The law was initiated by Israeli fashion photographer Adi Barkan after his friend, an Israeli model suffering from anorexia, died in 2007, weighing 60 pounds.

The new bill goes further than its predecessor, and if passed will make it possible to sanction publications that fail to attach clear notifications of altered photos with fines in the tens and even hundreds of thousands of shekels.

“Beneath the surface, a silent plague of eating disorders has grown in Israel,” said Magen-Telem. “The bill I’ve fought for since my first day in the Knesset is a first step in remedying this terrible phenomenon of negative and distorted body image among our youth.”

This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.

Israel approves seizure order for Lebanese companies supplying Hezbollah

(JNS) Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has signed a seizure order for three Lebanese companies that provide Hezbollah with equipment used in its precision-missile project, the Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.

The three companies, Toufali, Moubayed and Barakat, trade in machines, oils and ventilation systems that are required for Hezbollah’s production lines and in particular for its missile program, according to the ministry.

The seizure order, the second such order in recent months, is part of the ministry’s effort to put pressure on Hezbollah’s missile program and will allow the firms to be blacklisted in the world’s financial markets.

“Instead of helping and rehabilitating the citizens of Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to endanger the citizens of Lebanon and the entire country and sow chaos,” Gantz said in a statement.

“Hezbollah, with Iran’s support, is undermining the ability to stabilize Lebanon,” he continued. “Israel will continue to reach out to the Lebanese people and offer humanitarian aid, while at the same time continuing to undermine attempts to introduce advanced weapons that will endanger its citizens, with an emphasis on promoting the Iranian precision project that works from the heart of Lebanon.”

Israeli police chief makes first-ever visit to the UAE

(JNS) — Yaakov Shabtai on Sunday became the first Israeli police chief to visit the United Arab Emirates.

During his visit, Shabtai is scheduled to meet with senior officials from the UAE Interior Ministry, the police chiefs of Abu Dhabi and Dubai and other senior officials, according to an Israel Police statement.

The aim of the trip, which will last several days, is to build a professional relationship between the two countries’ police forces and open an official channel of communication between them, according to the statement.

As part of that effort, Shabtai intends to appoint a representative of the Israel Police in the UAE, who will “coordinate police activities in the Emirates, Africa and the Middle East.”

Shabtai’s visit comes only a week after a trip to the UAE by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and less than a week after Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz traveled to Bahrain.

Israeli President Herzog congratulates Queen Elizabeth on ‘Platinum Jubilee’

(JNS) — President Isaac Herzog congratulated Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday on the occasion of her “Platinum Jubilee.”

“HM Queen Elizabeth II’s powerful sense of duty over a lifetime of public service has been a great inspiration,” he tweeted, in honor of her celebrating 70 years on the British throne. “On behalf of the people of Israel, I congratulate The Queen on an extraordinary 70-year reign as Britain and @RoyalFamily celebrate the #PlatinumJubilee.”

HM Queen Elizabeth II’s powerful sense of duty over a lifetime of public service has been a great inspiration. On behalf of the people of Israel, I congratulate The Queen on an extraordinary 70-year reign as Britain and @RoyalFamily celebrate the #PlatinumJubilee.

— Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) February 6, 2022

The queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee. Britain has been celebrating all year, but has been holding a special series of events over the course of four days. These include community activities and national moments of reflection on the queen’s service, a special royal website on the subject said.

Previous events included the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative and the Platinum Pudding competition.

Israel has had diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom since April 1950.

Israeli tourism minister: Allow unvaccinated kids into Israel by Passover

Government decisiveness on the issue would “rescue” the April holiday tourism season, said Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov.

(JNS) — Israel should aim to let unvaccinated individuals under the age of 18 into Israel, accompanied by their vaccinated parents, by March 1, Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozovtweeted on Sunday.

“This is done in many countries, and with the reproduction rate [of the COVID-19 virus] falling and with only a few countries in the world having vaccinated children, we must not be left behind,” said Razvozov.

Government decisiveness on this, he said, would “rescue” the Passover tourism season, during which many families are expected to visit the country.

Passover starts at sundown on Friday, April 15.

Last week, the government voted to extend existing travel guidelines through the beginning of March, including allowing only people who meet Israel’s stringent vaccination criteria entry into the country.

Israel’s skies have been closed for the better part of two years since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

While the country has approved vaccines for all individuals over the age of 5 and is expected to expand vaccination to young children within the next two months—pending approval of the Pfizer shot for children from 6 months to 5 years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—not all countries have approved children’s vaccines.

Moreover, Israel does not recognize non-electronic recovery certificates.

Congressional Israel Allies Caucus co-chairs criticize Amnesty report on Israel

(JNS) — The co-chairs of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus condemned on Friday a recent report by Amnesty International criticized worldwide for its inaccuracy and flagrant anti-Israel bias.

“We are deeply concerned by Amnesty International’s biased report on Israel, which inappropriately ignores history and context to smear the foremost democracy in the Middle East as an apartheid state,” caucus co-chairs Reps. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) and Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) said in a statement. “Israel has a right to defend itself, but Amnesty’s tunnel vision downplays the real problem: Palestinian intransigence and the constant terror threat from Hamas and other armed groups.”

As they explained, “Worse, it fails to recognize that the history of anti-Semitism, including the Holocaust, requires Israel to remain a safe haven and a Jewish state. This sort of rhetoric won’t do anything to solve the underlying problems and only gives talking points to radical extremists.”

The report, which was released on Tuesday, was also denounced by nearly every mainstream Jewish organization, in addition to Biden administration officials.

Duke passes resolution condemning anti-Semitism, adopting IHRA definition

(JNS) — Duke University Student Government senators approved a resolution that condemns anti-Semitism and adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism.

“Given the sheer prevalence of anti-Semitism, globally and across campus in the United States, we feel that it is necessary for the Duke Student Government to take a timely stand,” said sophomore senator Nicole Rosenzweig in a DSG meeting on Wednesday, as reported by the school’s newspaper The Chronicle.

Rosenzweig introduced the resolution with junior Lana Gesinky, who serves as vice president of campus life at the university, and three freshman student government senators.

The resolution highlighted incidents of anti-Semitism that took place at the school, such as the drawing of swastikas and a 2019 complaint filed against the university with the U.S. Department of Education. It also referenced the Jan. 15 hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, and called on DSG to show solidarity with the Jewish community, according to The Chronicle.

The resolution was approved one week after DSG senators attended an anti-Semitism training presentation hosted by Jewish Life at Duke, which serves as a Hillel on campus, as well as a department within Duke University’s Division of Student Affairs.

San Diego Jewish Academy launches high-altitude weather balloon 90,000 feet

(JNS) — San Diego Jewish Academy announced that its physics students successfully launched on Friday a high-altitude weather balloon that traveled 90,000 feet, reported the school—the highest attainable altitude in the Earth’s atmosphere before space.

From that height, they say, it’s possible to view the whole world.

The project, the culmination of a semester-long effort by SDJA’s Maimonides Upper School’s (MUS) physics class, “allowed students to integrate their understanding of buoyancy, forces and motion through the hands-on challenge of designing and constructing a payload and data logger,” said SDJA’s MUS physics teacher Patrick Hagerman.

“The payload was recovered in the mountains of Mesa Grande Tribal Reservation after reaching a height of approximately 90,000 feet, making this project a huge success,” he added.

The class is now set to analyze a multitude of data from the project, including GPS positioning, altitude, flight time, temperature and humidity levels throughout the balloon’s flight.

“These students were committed to their mission, and together with their teachers, accomplished something truly incredible,” said head of school Zvi Weiss. “They innovated, experimented, and worked together—these are powerful real-world experiences and lessons they will carry forward for the rest of their lives. We are so excited and proud of them.”

Adam Borek, assistant director of SDJA’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurial Thinking, noted that “in addition to learning the physics, design, engineering and logistics involved, students were also able to practice the art of storytelling during this project. The students assembled a film crew and documented the entire process. This allowed them to hone many valuable skills including cinematography, photography, storyboarding and digital editing.”

Tel Aviv, Dubai hold joint online seminar, partner on women’s health

(JNS) — Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer and Medcare Women & Children Hospital in Dubai hosted a first-ever joint educational online seminar on Thursday to enhance learning on women’s care.

The event, which attracted medical professionals from across the region, was focused on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

“Health care is an industry that depends on people all working together to deliver the best possible outcome for patients,” said Dr. Shanila Laiju, group CEO of Medcare Hospital & Medical Centres. “Through this collaboration model between medical practitioners from different countries, we will continue to provide advanced health-care services to our patients at Medcare Women & Children Hospital.”

Since the signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020, Sheba has been stepping up collaborations in both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with a special focus on medical education, according to Yoel Har-Even, director of Sheba Global.

“We have found Medcare to be one of the leading health-care systems with a focus on teaching. Therefore, our partnership and collaboration is of the utmost importance in Dubai, the UAE and beyond,” he said, noting the hospitals plan to collaborate in other ways in the future.

Last April, Sheba signed an agreement with Al Tadawi Healthcare group to provide treatment to diabetics in Dubai through the hospital’s “Sheba BEYOND” telemedicine program. The hospital also signed a deal with the UAE’s APEX National Investment to promote a range of health-care solutions in the region.

Former Washington Football Team staffer says her boss harassed her with ‘Jewish slurs’

By Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON (JTA) — A former staffer for the Washington football team now called the Commanders accused her boss of using “Jewish slurs” and other forms of verbal harassment during her time with the organization.

“I was called Jewish slurs that refer to a non-Jewish woman that you are sexualizing,” Emily Applegate said Thursday during testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee, which is probing allegations of harassment and misconduct within the NFL franchise. “A slur which I will not repeat a rabbi described as ‘simply indefensible, condescending, racist, and misogynistic.’”

Applegate did not name her boss in the testimony, but The Washington Post, which in 2020 broke the allegations by at least 15 women of a culture of sexual misconduct, said it was Mitch Gershman, the chief marketing officer. Gershman at the time denied Applegate’s allegations.

Applegate worked for the team in 2014 and 2015. Gershman left the team in 2015.

Applegate said that Dan Snyder, the Jewish owner of the team, is responsible for the alleged harassment. “Dan Snyder created a culture in which this behavior was accepted and encouraged,” she said.

In addition to shouting abuse, which Applegate said drove her to tears, she alleged that Gershman told her to wear tight clothing and high heels and talked to her about dating, including with older men.

Democrats convened the hearing because the NFL has kept secret an investigation into the allegations.

The revelations come the same week the Washington team announced its new name, the Commanders. The team is trying to refurbish its image in the wake of toxic battles for ownership, the sexual misconduct allegations and decades of using a name that is a racist pejorative.

Snyder, who had said repeatedly he would never change the name, in 2020 acceded to widespread demand for a name change. Jewish groups were among those calling for the change.