Weekly roundup of world briefs

 


‘Leave New York’s yeshivas alone,’ writes Wall Street Journal

(JNS) — “Are Jewish moms and dads who send their children to religious schools lawbreakers? Or are they exercising their right to live by their beliefs—even if those beliefs are out of fashion with modern American sensibilities?”

So asks William McGurn, a Wall Street Journal editorial board member, in an op-ed in the paper. The piece comes to the defense of Orthodox Jews, who have come under regular fire in The New York Times, and who are being investigated by the state’s education department.

At issue is a state law, more than 125 years old and with anti-Catholic origins, which requires instruction at private schools to be “substantially equivalent” to that of public ones. In a city and state with an enormous student population, the Times has trained its scope on some 50,000 Chassidic children.

Unlike public schools, where students often do poorly on math and science tests, Chassidic schools “are succeeding at something else: providing an advanced education in Jewish texts and law in ancient Hebrew and Aramaic,” writes McGurn. “It’s just not the education the state wants, because yeshivas aim for something different: a Jewish life in service of God and the community.”

Greenblatt joins Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

(JNS) — Jason Greenblatt, a former special envoy to Israel and the Arab world in the Trump administration, is joining the think tank Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs as senior director for Arab-Israel diplomacy.

Greenblatt was part of the team that brokered peace between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

JCPA president Dan Diker said Greenblatt possesses “a wealth of experience and close relations with Arab states across the region.”

On Twitter, Greenblatt wrote that JCPA, which he is excited to join, is a “do tank,” in addition to a think tank.

Earlier this month, JCPA hosted its first Arab-Israel-Africa security conference. At the time, Diker told JNS that “a lot of African and Middle Eastern states are identifying with Israel because we are not encroaching on them, unlike the other powers that have been approaching them like Russia or Iran or China.”

Greenblatt joins Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

(JNS) — Jason Greenblatt, a former special envoy to Israel and the Arab world in the Trump administration, is joining the think tank Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs as senior director for Arab-Israel diplomacy.

Greenblatt was part of the team that brokered peace between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

JCPA president Dan Diker said Greenblatt possesses “a wealth of experience and close relations with Arab states across the region.”

On Twitter, Greenblatt wrote that JCPA, which he is excited to join, is a “do tank,” in addition to a think tank.

Earlier this month, JCPA hosted its first Arab-Israel-Africa security conference. At the time, Diker told JNS that “a lot of African and Middle Eastern states are identifying with Israel because we are not encroaching on them, unlike the other powers that have been approaching them like Russia or Iran or China.”

Israel’s population approaches 9.73 million

(JNS) — Israel’s population stands at 9,727,000, according to figures the Central Bureau of Statistics released on Monday, on the eve of Independence Day.

Of them, 73.5 percent are Jewish, 21 percent Arab and 5.5 percent non-Arab Christians, members of other religions, and those without a religious classification in the Population Registry.

Since the previous Independence Day, Israel’s population grew by 216,000 people, or 2.3 percent. During the period, some 183,000 babies were born, approximately 79,0000 immigrants arrived and 51,000 people died.

At the time of the state’s establishment, Israel’s population numbered 806,000 people.

By 2030, the population is expected to reach 11.1 million, and by 2040 13.2 million. In Israel’s centenary year, the population is predicted to hit 15.2 million.

Since its rebirth in 1948, more than 3.3 million people made aliyah to Israel, of whom about 1.5 million (43.7 percent) arrived as of 1990. About 60,000 Israeli citizens alive today were born in 1948, and more than 3,300 are over 100 years old.

Some 89 percent of Israelis aged 20 and over are satisfied or very satisfied with life, based on data from the 2021 Social Survey.

The Jewish state will begin marking Memorial Day on Monday night, and then 24 hours later immediately usher in its 75th Independence Day.

IDF shells Hezbollah assets in southern Syria

(JNS) — Israel Defense Forces tanks reportedly shelled a Syrian army post used by Iranian terrorist proxy Hezbollah early on Monday morning, in the second such incident in as many weeks.

According to Syrian media, the artillery strike targeted a military observation post located close to the village of Hader in the Quneitra Governorate.

Thereafter, the IDF dropped leaflets in the area warning Syrian soldiers against cooperating with Hezbollah.

The Israeli military did not comment on the development.

The IDF last week struck assets belonging to Hezbollah in the Syrian-held part of the Golan Heights.

And earlier this month, the IDF attacked targets in Syria in response to six rockets fired towards the Golan Heights. Among the targets were a military compound of the Fourth Division of the Syrian Armed Forces, military radar systems and artillery posts.

“The IDF sees the Syrian state as responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty,” the military said.

Israel regularly conducts airstrikes in Syria with a view to preventing Iran and its terror proxies, foremost among them Lebanon-based Hezbollah, from developing permanent military infrastructure with which to open a front against the Jewish state.

Caroline Glick under consideration for New York consul post

By Etgar Lefkovits

(JNS) — The prominent Israeli-American columnist Caroline B. Glick is among the candidates being considered for the high-profile position of consul general in New York.

The move comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided not to appoint Likud lawmaker May Golan to the posting, following criticism from left-wing American Jewish leaders and the State Department over her past remarks.

Glick, who worked with Netanyahu a quarter century ago before becoming a widely-read columnist, including for JNS, has been critical of the Biden administration’s policies vis-à-vis Israel.

Another leading candidate reportedly under consideration is Davidi Hermelin, the president of the International Centre for Public Diplomacy, Israel. Hermelin’s candidacy might be more palatable to Biden administration officials and liberal American Jewish community leaders, both because of his views and the fact that he is gay, according to Israel’s Channel 14.

The consul general in New York is considered Israel’s third-most senior diplomatic position in the United States after the ambassadors to Washington and the United Nations.

The position may stay vacant for some time due to political exigencies that would not be addressed by the appointment of either candidate.

Netanyahu had originally intended to task Golan, who currently serves as a minister without portfolio, for the position. That would have enabled him to appoint member of Knesset Danny Danon, a former ambassador to the U.N., to a ministerial position, freeing up a spot in the legislature for a Druze representative, Abed Afif, No. 44 on the Likud candidates list.

CAMERA responds to ‘15 lies’ in Amnesty ‘apartheid’ attack on Israel

(JNS) — In a video documenting “15 Lies in 15 Minutes,” the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis is taking on a February 2022 video that Amnesty International made, accusing Israel of “apartheid.”

Among Amnesty’s lies is its use of incomplete quotes from Israeli founding father David Ben-Gurion and from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to suggest they and Israel are racist, according to CAMERA.

Alex Safian, research director at CAMERA, noted that Amnesty did not include the next line in a statement of Netanyahu’s, in which he says that Arab citizens have equal rights to Jews, “something antithetical to apartheid,” said Safian. “This malicious editing is no anomaly — the rest of the report is filled with similar deceptions.”

“As Amnesty continues its campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state, and as other anti-Israel organizations on campus and around the world continue to cite Amnesty’s misinformation, it’s vital that we shine a light on the organization’s bad faith, and ask: If Amnesty had a good case, why would it have to manipulate viewers?” stated Gilead Ini, a senior analyst at CAMERA.

As Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s trial begins, healing group says trauma is natural

(JNS) — With jury selection beginning in the trial of Robert Bowers, 50—accused of shooting and killing 11 mostly elderly Jewish worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation on Oct. 27, 2018—a group based at the Squirrel Hill Jewish Community Center that supports those impacted by the attack released a statement.

“We stand together against hatred today and every day, and we know that the love of our community is stronger than the actions of one person,” stated Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership.

Those who experience trauma from the trial should feel comfortable seeking mental-health resources, she added.

Bowers faces the death penalty if convicted on 63 charges, including murdering Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger.

He allegedly declared that “all Jews must die” in the most deadly attack on U.S. Jews in history.

Netanyahu meets New York Rep. Jeffries, Democratic leaders in Jerusalem

(JNS) — Twelve congressional Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), met on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel.

The purpose of the trip, according to a release from Jeffries, was to address “Israel’s unique challenges within the region and discuss our efforts to maintain and strengthen the special relationship between our nations.” The group also planned to commemorate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s 75th anniversary, and to recognize Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day.

On the Israeli side, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides, Netanyahu’s diplomatic adviser Ophir Falk and National Security Council Deputy Director for Foreign Policy Avivit Bar-Ilan met with the 12 members of Congress, according to Israel’s Government Press Office.

Netanyahu thanked Jeffries and the other legislators, emphasizing “the importance of the relationship between Israel and the United States,” per the Israeli press office.

He also discussed with them “the need to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, the Abraham Accords and the opportunities for expanding the circle of peace with additional countries.”

Jews ascend Temple Mount for first time since Ramadan ban

(JNS) — Jews on Monday morning were permitted to ascend the Temple Mount for the first time in 12 days.

The Israeli government had barred Jews from visiting their holiest site for the last 10 days of the monthlong Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which ended on Thursday.

On April 5, Israeli police arrested more than 350 Muslim rioters who barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa mosque. Three days later, hundreds of Muslims again barricaded themselves inside the mosque, attempting to provoke a response from Israeli security services. However, police did not enter the building to clear out the extremists.

The Jordanian government has publicly blamed Israel for the escalation with Israel’s Foreign Ministry shooting back by calling on Amman, through the Waqf Islamic trust tasked with safeguarding Muslim sites on the Temple Mount, to take action against the rioters.

Nevertheless, thousands of Jewish worshippers packed the Western Wall Plaza on April 9 for the Passover priestly blessing. More than 2,200 Jews ascended the Temple Mount during Passover.

In 2022, 51,483 Jews visited the Temple Mount, up from 34,651 in 2021 and 20,684 in 2020, according to statistics compiled by Beyadenu, an NGO dedicated to strengthening the Jewish connection to the site.

Netanyahu building support for pro-reform mega-rally

(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working behind the scenes to drum up backing for a “Million-person Protest” planned for Thursday in support of his government’s judicial reform initiative.

Netanyahu has met with stakeholders to ensure that they have the necessary resources to get people out onto the streets and is urging haredi members of the governing coalition to call on their constituents to participate. The prime minister reportedly views the prospective rally as an “expression of public legitimacy” for the governing coalition and, by extension, for its reform program.

Netanyahu is not, however, expected to attend the rally, with officials citing security concerns.

Hundreds of Israelis joined a “freedom march” last Wednesday that concluded with a demonstration outside the Tel Aviv home of former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak.

Protesters held placards calling the court a “dictatorship” and declaring it is “harming national security.”

Barak, who served as Supreme Court president between 1995 and 2006, is widely considered responsible for the “Constitutional Revolution” that the current government seeks to moderate with its reform initiative.

Reformers will gather for the “Million-person Protest” outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on April 27, in a show of strength and support for the government’s effort to restore checks and balances on the court.

Organizers said in a statement that the event will be “the largest demonstration in [the state’s] history,” and issued a call telling “government ministers and Knesset members: You have received a mandate to correct the injustice. We will not be second-class citizens!”

Justice Minister Yariv Levin on Saturday urged proponents “to stand between the Knesset and the Supreme Court and say with unprecedented determination: The people demand legal reform. The mandate received by the right-wing government must be realized.”

Tel Aviv kebab shop slammed for staying open on Memorial Day

(JNS) — A kebab shop in Tel Aviv is being slammed on social media for remaining open on Monday night as Israel ushered in Memorial Day.

The Aşk Doner restaurant on the popular Dizengoff thoroughfare continued to serve clients while the siren marking the start of the solemn day sounded across the country.

Omer Gershon used Facebook to post a picture of the goings-on with the accompanying message: “Who are you, disgusting café, to be open on the eve of Memorial Day? And who are you repulsive people who don’t bother to stand for one minute during the siren and instead continue to sit and eat [expletive].”

Gershon also shared a photo of the 730 shekel ($200) fine the restaurant received for refusing to close its doors to customers.

The post went viral after it was shared on Twitter by Israeli journalist Sivan Cohen Saban, who wrote that she would never step foot in Aşk Doner “even if it was the last place [in the world] offering water.”

On the eve of Memorial Day, commercial businesses throughout Israel close by 8 p.m. and stay closed until 6 the following morning.

Aşk Doner is located close to where three Israelis were murdered in an April 2022 terrorist attack, and where Or Eshkar sustained fatal bullet wounds during a similar shooting in Tel Aviv on March 9.

At competition, Israeli robots take a day of rest on Shabbat

(JNS) — The booth at the international robotics competition in Houston on April 21 had a rather unusual diorama: Shabbat candles, challah, a Kiddush cup and a poster explaining that it was Judaism’s official day of rest.

The teens from Modi’in on Trigon 5990 sent a letter to tournament organizers informing them that the team could not compete on the holy day, despite having reached the final stage.

“We come from a religious Jewish background, and our faith is an integral part of who we are,” they wrote in the letter. “Saturdays, Shabbat, hold a special significance in the Jewish faith.”

A tournament official read the team’s statement, and as the audience applauded, he thanked the team for the “reminder of the importance of things outside of robotics.”

 

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