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May 9, 2017

Trump fires FBI director Comey; aides cite handling of Clinton emails case

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President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, on the same day that reports indicated Comey misstated, during testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee,  the involvement of Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin and her now-estranged husband Anthony Weiner in the email scandal his office investigated.

In a statement from the press secretary late Tuesday afternoon, the White House said Comey’s firing “will mark a new beginning” for the FBI. The statement said the search for a new FBI director will begin immediately.

In a memorandum commenting on Comey’s firing, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein said the “FBI’s reputation and credibility suffered substantial damage” over the past year. The letter chided Comey for his conclusion, announced at a news conference on July 5, 2016, that as Secretary of State Clinton demonstrated no criminal intent in her handling of classified emails and thathe was closing the case against her.

“I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal conclusion that he was mistaken,” Rosenstein wrote.

During the Senate committee hearing on May 3, ranking committee member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., asked why Comey felt it was necessary for the FBI director to reveal on Oct. 28, less than two weeks before the presidential election, that he was set to reopen an investigation into whether Clinton, the Democratic nominee, had criminal intent when as secretary of state she conducted government business through private email.

Comey explained there was evidence that new emails from Clinton could be found on a laptop seized from Weiner, the Jewish former congressman who resigned in a sexting scandal and now is under investigation allegedly for sexting with a minor. Included were emails from a private Clinton email account that the FBI had yet to access, Comey told Feinstein, explaining that the emails had come from Abedin.

Comey said that Abedin was forwarding hundreds of thousands of emails, some with classified information, to her husband to print out for her.

Pro-Publica and The Washington Post, citing unnamed FBI officials close to the investigation, reported Tuesday that Abedin occasionally forwarded a small number of emails to her husband for printing and that none were marked classified, though a small number were later deemed to contain classified information.

Comey said the FBI found no basis for concluding that Abedin or Weiner had acted with criminal intent.

On Monday, Comey addressed the Anti-Defamation League at their conference in Washington, calling for improvements in how law enforcement reports hate crimes.

“We must do a better job of tracking and reporting hate crime to fully understand what is happening in our country so we can stop it,” he told the group’s annual Washington, D.C., conference on Monday. “Some jurisdictions do not report hate crime data.”

Trump fires FBI director Comey; aides cite handling of Clinton emails case Read More »

James Comey found to have misstated Abedin-Weiner involvement in Clinton email scandal

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FBI Director James Comey reportedly misstated the involvement of Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin and her now-estranged husband Anthony Weiner in the email scandal his office investigated during testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Comey said that Abedin was forwarding hundreds of thousands of emails, some with classified information, to her husband to print out for her.

Pro-Publica and The Washington Post, citing unnamed FBI officials close to the investigation, reported Tuesday that Abedin occasionally forwarded a small number of emails to her husband for printing and that none were marked classified, though a small number were later deemed to contain classified information.

Justice Department and FBI officials are considering whether and how to clarify the misstatements, according to ProPublica, which first reported that Comey misspoke in last week’s testimony.

During the Senate committee hearing on May 3, ranking committee member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., asked why Comey felt it was necessary for the FBI director to reveal on Oct. 28, less than two weeks before the presidential election, that he was set to reopen an investigation into whether Clinton, the Democratic nominee who would lose to Trump, had criminal intent when as secretary of state she conducted government business through private email. Comey had closed the case earlier in the campaign, saying there was no evidence of criminal intent.

Comey explained there was evidence that new emails from Clinton could be found on a laptop seized from Weiner, the Jewish former congressman who resigned in a sexting scandal and now is under investigation allegedly for sexting with a minor. Included were emails from a private Clinton email account that the FBI had yet to access, Comey told Feinstein, explaining that the emails had come from Abedin.

Comey said the FBI found no basis for concluding that Abedin or Weiner had acted with criminal intent.

James Comey found to have misstated Abedin-Weiner involvement in Clinton email scandal Read More »

Jewish life, like college campuses, could use a little more free speech

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Sunday night in Teaneck, New Jersey, Daniel Kurtzer and Ruth Wisse spoke at separate synagogues, roughly at the same time, about a quarter mile apart.

Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and a professor of Middle East studies at Princeton, supports the two-state solution and doesn’t think the Israeli government is heading in the “right direction.”

Wisse, a famed Yiddish scholar at Harvard, regards Jewish support for the peace process as “self-delusion” and planned to speak on the topic “Are American Jews their own worst enemies?”

Kurtzer spoke at a Conservative synagogue, the majority of whose members, I can say from personal experience, are essentially on board with his views of the Middle East.

Wisse spoke at a modern Orthodox synagogue whose members, it’s probably safe to say, tend to share her skepticism about the two-state solution, Democrats and liberal Zionism.

I wish they had switched places.

Efforts by protesters at the University of California, Berkeley, to shut down a speech by conservative Ann Coulter and at Auburn University to block an appearance by white nationalist Richard Spencer are being held up as examples of left-wing academia’s inability to tolerate — or even listen to — dissenting views. Right-wing sites condemn campus “snowflakes” who are willing to deny free speech to those with whom they disagree. Republicans in the Michigan state Senate have introduced a bill that would punish college students who “have converted our fundamental freedom of speech into a freedom from speech,” as a sponsor put it.

It’s not just the right who are critical of the “shut it down” left: Liberals object that attempts to silence speakers are violations of a fundamental right to free speech, a perversion of the whole idea of a university education and simply bad politics, giving the right a cudgel with which to beat the left. As Bernie Sanders said of Coulter’s opponents, “What are you afraid of — her ideas?”

In some ways the debate has become a little hysterical. As Jesse Singal noted in New York magazine, recent surveys at Yale suggest students there are about as likely as the general population to support free speech — that is, by wide margins. On the other hand, Pew reported last year that 40 percent of students say the government should be able to “prevent people from saying offensive statements about minority groups.” Singal says that’s not far off from the number of Americans who say some forms of speech should be banned by the government.

The idea that a small number of extremists can hijack an event and shut down a speaker in the name of what they deem “acceptable” speech is troubling — a point pro-Israel activists on campus have been trying to make in recent years, with far less success than supporters of Coulter or even of Spencer. From Brown University, where protesters objected to a speech by a transgender activist because it was being sponsored by the campus Hillel,  to the University of Minnesota, where hecklers disrupted a speech by the Israeli philosopher Moshe Halbertal, Israel has become a flash point in the free speech debate. J. — The Jewish News of Northern California had an important article last week on San Francisco State University and its “tepid” responses to various anti-Israel incidents, like the successful attempt by a pro-Palestinian group to shout down Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat during a Hillel-sponsored appearance in April 2016.

Not to be outdone, right-wing supporters of Israel are taking a cue from the left-wing protesters they profess to despise. Last week, a synagogue in the Detroit suburbs canceled a scheduled appearance by the Israeli singer and peace activist known as Noa after fielding threats from protesters presumably on the right. The synagogue explained it wasn’t able to guarantee security for the event, although it also pointed out, apologetically and unnecessarily, that the event was “not intended to reflect political viewpoints.”

Noa, a member of the board of the New Israel Fund, has never made a secret of her left-wing views or her support of Jewish-Arab coexistence. But her concerts aren’t peace rallies, and even if they were it is depressing to see how easily one side in a political argument is willing to support threats — not arguments, not rival events, but physical threats  — to shut down the other. Take a look at the comment section in an article about the Noa cancellation in The Times of Israel and see how giddy her opponents are in seeing a synagogue event canceled for fear of a violent reprisal.

The pro-Israel right also celebrated last month when Fordham University denied a request by Students for Justice in Palestine to form a club there on the grounds that its goals “clearly conflict with and run contrary to the mission and values” of the New York City school. SJP chapters are harsh and often dishonest in their attacks on Israel, and Fordham is a private university, but are we really comfortable with administrators deciding which causes are acceptable and which aren’t? And if we are, can we really say we value the right to free speech?

But what about speech that is so reprehensible that it truly doesn’t deserve a hearing? (The First Amendment, by the way, doesn’t say anything about “deserving” the right to free speech.) One option is to ignore it and not give awful speakers the attention they crave. Another is to fight back with more speech, which is what the Founders evidently intended.

The very worst option is to criminalize it or try to shut it down with a real or implied threat of violence.

It’s easy to blame “kids these days” for a climate of political correctness or a narrowing of what is and isn’t acceptable thought on campus. But the university is merely reflecting a broader culture in which people are less inclined to listen to or tolerate opposing views. Thanks to technology and an explosion of narrow ideological media channels, they don’t have to. The presidential campaign of 2016 was in part a reflection of the failure of each side of the political divide to hear the other.

I wish Kurtzer and Wisse had crossed over to presumably less friendly venues precisely because of the possibility that one side might have something to learn from the other. Both are incisive intellects whose arguments cannot be dismissed as thoughtless or delusional. They may not have changed any minds, but they may have made each side more thoughtful in its own views and perhaps have established a small sliver of common ground.

Jewish life, like college campuses, could use a little more free speech Read More »

Daily Kickoff: Magerman sues Mercer | Wine in hand, Navarro attacks Kushner, Trump at ADL | Comey on the Holocaust | Is ‘Norman’ good for the Jews?

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HEARD LAST NIGHT — Wine in Hand, Ana Navarro’s Freewheeling ADL Speech — by Jacob Kornbluh: Republican strategist and political commentator Ana Navarro, sipping from a glass of wine, veered on and off script as she recounted the controversial moments of the 2016 presidential campaign, concluding that the Jewish community cannot rely on President Trump to stand up against bigotry and anti-Semitism.

Highlights — “Did you guys hear how Barbra Streisand is blaming her weight gain on Trump? Stop laughing! I am too. It’s like I am pregnant with this baby, Rosemary’s baby. I do not know what to do about this. I cannot stop eating and drinking since this man got elected… I should also tell you… I am Ashkenazi Jewish — and Sephardic. And I am also the descendant of slaves, and Hispanic. So basically, Donald Trump has offended all of me, every single part of me. ”

The one good thing about Trump: “I think he has been supportive of Israel’s right to exist. I am not sure he can find Israel on the map. I am not sure he doesn’t think it’s a deli in the Bronx… Other than liking matzah — in the same way he likes taco bowls — Donald Trump does understand that Israel has the right to exist, and that is – in my eyes – one of his few saving graces.”

On Jared’s Middle East portfolio: “I am not sure how much Jared understands [about the Middle East], but, you know, he’s got a lot on his plate. Keeping Ivanka happy can’t be easy. Getting his family out of financial straits can’t be easy either.”

On Steve Bannon: “They keep saying that Jared and Ivanka are Jewish, so, you know, Trump is good because his daughter and son-in-law are Jewish. Well, go to them. I mean, surely you’ve got friends who know these people. Um. Hell, even I have friends who know these people. That’s why I am not deported yet – yet.” [JewishInsider]

FBI Director James Comey discussed the Holocaust in a speech at the ADL conference — by Aaron Magid: “Although the slaughter of the Holocaust was led by sick and evil people, those sick and evil leaders were joined by and followed by people who loved their families, took soup to sick neighbors, who went to Church, who gave to charity. Good people helped murder millions… I believe the Holocaust is the most significant event in human history. How could such a thing happen? How is that consistent in any way with the concept of a loving God? The answer for me is, I don’t know.” [JewishInsider] 

Abe Foxman tells us… “Comey understands what most people fail to comprehend about the Shoa – that six million Jews perished because ‘the good people’ implemented Hitler’s Final Solution. Germans and their accomplices, who loved their families and dogs, and religiously went to Church on Sunday, systematically murdered Jews because of anti-Semitic hatred preached and practiced for hundreds of years… Comey says he doesn’t know why. We do know why! Hate has consequences; it infects and eventually kills. That is the price of prejudice and the Shoa was the price of anti-Semitic prejudice which is still alive today.”

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Simon Wiesenthal Center: “I understand what Director Comey wanted to say. But to be clear, any German who participated in or abetted in any way Hitler’s Final Solution could no longer be considered “good people.” By their words and deeds abetting genocide, they voided anything “good” they had previously done.”

TOP TALKER: “Washington Loves General McMaster, But Trump Doesn’t” by Eli Lake: “In recent weeks, Trump has privately expressed regret for choosing McMaster. Last Monday, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, who was a finalist for McMaster’s job, met with Trump to discuss a range of issues with the National Security Council. White House officials tell me the two discussed the prospect of Bolton coming in as McMaster’s deputy, but eventually agreed it was not a good fit… [Steve] Bannon and Trump, according to White House officials, pressed McMaster to fire a list of Obama holdovers at the National Security Council who were suspected of leaking to the press… Trump said in his statement to me that he couldn’t be happier with the general.” [Bloomberg]

Joe Scarborough: “Several WH sources say the Gen McMaster stories are coming from Bannon and are false. Trump has full confidence in McMaster. “He loves him.” [Twitter] 

Bill Kristol‏: “My read: Bannon going after McMaster, who purged him from NSC. Flynn holdovers helping Bannon. Kushner, Dina Powell allied with McMaster.” [Twitter]

Trump’s schedule today — 10:00 AM: “The President meets with National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster.”

“Steve Bannon’s Former Hollywood Partner Jeff Kwatinetz Breaks Silence: “He’s Not a Racist” Q&A by Paul Bond: “I know that he’s not anti-Semitic. I am absolutely positive that he’s not anti-Semitic or racist. It is absurd. I am Jewish, Roy Furman was Jewish, Andrew Breitbart was Jewish. He is not anti-Semitic. Period… Steve and I and a few others at the company had an idea for the future of the music business and spent a year of our lives doing the banking work and analysis for the purchase of Warner Music [from Time Warner] by private equity firms. A dozen private equity firms told us our numbers were fantasy, but a group agreed with us and bought Warner Music for $2.6 billion. Then when Edgar Bronfman was brought in late as executive chairman, we decided not to go ahead because we didn’t believe in his vision, but our analysis of how to finance and purchase the company was highly accurate and it allowed the buyers to make hundreds of millions of dollars, and in the process Steve and I made millions of dollars for putting together the deal.” [HollywoodReporter]

“Kushner emerged as conduit for Canada on NAFTA talks” by Julie Pace and Catherine Lucey: “According to a White House official, aides to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called [Jared] Kushner urgently on April 26 after seeing news reports that Trump was considering signing an executive order withdrawing from NAFTA… Kushner told his Canadian counterpart that this was a matter the leaders needed to discuss themselves, according to the White House official… But accounts of Kushner’s involvement differed Monday in Canadian media reports. According to The Canadian Press news agency, it was Kushner who first reached out to Trudeau’s chief of staff to suggest a call between the two leaders.” [AP]

“Kushner Family Stands to Gain From Visa Rules in Trump’s First Major Law” by Eric Lipton and Jesse Drucker: “There is no assertion that Mr. Kushner broke any conflict-of-interest rule; but the law does not prevent his relatives from attempting to exploit those ties to benefit the family business. Mr. Kushner’s portfolio includes a central role on China policy. That role has heightened the Kushner family name in a nation accounting for more than 80 percent of the EB-5 visas issued. Wealthy Chinese see the program as an easy way to legally move to the United States.” [NYTimes] • The Kushner Project Touted in China Is in Trouble at Home [Bloomberg]

Norm Eisen: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump should recuse themselves from China policy… “It is well past time for this administration to begin drawing real and meaningful lines to avoid catastrophic conflicts of interest. The latest reports make it is even more important that Kushner and Ivanka Trump step forward and do the right thing. A broad recusal on China policy would be a good — and essential — start.” [WashPost]

DRIVING THE CONVERSATION: “Dem rep: State Dept. video ‘edited out’ Israel” by Mark Hensch: “Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) on Monday criticized the State Department for a video posted by the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that “edited out” mentions of Israel. “I am appalled that the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia disingenuously posted this incomplete and misleading video,” Engel said in a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson… “I urge you to immediately instruct the embassy to replace the video with the unedited version that includes the announcement of the President’s planned visit to Israel. We must continue to be true to our values and interests.” … Engel… noted how the version posted on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh’s website and its Arabic-language Twitter account make no mention of Israel. The video and tweet have both been deleted.” [TheHill; Politico]

“Embassy used video of Trump travel doctored by Saudi citizen” by Richard Lardner: “The American Embassy was unaware that the video had been altered, according to the State Department official. The video was immediately replaced on the embassy’s social media accounts with the original version that includes Trump stating Israel will be among the countries he’ll be visiting. The official, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said the embassy regretted the mistake.” [AP]

“Erdogan says US debates over Jerusalem embassy move ‘wrong’” by AFP: “Speaking at a forum in Istanbul, [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan said everyone should be careful on issues that concerned the status of Jerusalem, warning that even “relocating a stone” in the city could have serious implications. “The debates over the possibility of US moving its Israel embassy to Jerusalem are extremely wrong and should certainly drop from the agenda,” the Turkish president said.” [DailyMail] • Israel slams Turkey’s Erdogan over ‘apartheid’ remarks [MEE]

“Benjamin Netanyahu angry Lauder advised Abbas” by Gil Hoffman:“Confidants who spoke to Netanyahu about Ron Lauder told The Jerusalem Post that he was furious about the American Jewish leader’s meeting. “You don’t understand how much influence he has over Trump,” Netanyahu told a confidant in a private conversation Monday. “Out of the people around Trump, he is my biggest challenge to overcome.”” [JPost] • Abbas ready to meet Netanyahu under auspices of Trump [Ynet]

“Abbas Told Trump: Peace Talks Should Resume From Where 2008 Negotiations With Israel Left Off” by Jack Khoury: “Abbas and his staff showed Trump documents and maps from Israel’s talks with the Palestinians near the end of Olmert’s term, explaining the proposal to him… According to Abbas… the U.S. president showed interest and revealed that he wanted to move quickly, “and even said within a year or a bit more.”” [Haaretz] • U.S. Pressures Abbas to End Controversial Family Payments[WSJ]

‘Read his book’ — WH aide Sebastian Gorka on Trump’s ‘ultimate deal’ in an interview with Israel’s Channel 2: “I’ll just repeat what the President has said, okay? It’s always good to stick with what the boss says. He wishes to have a deal in which both sides are satisfied. We’re not going to say what that is. We’re not going to predict it. But I recommend all your viewers  – I’m sure it’s available in Hebrew – read his book ‘The Art of the Deal.’ If you want to understand what is possible, read that book… If anybody can bring an agreement that is good for Israel, it will be President Donald Trump. He is the master of the deal.” [Mako] 

“Bennett: We must tell Trump the ‘truth’ about peace process” by Ben Caspit: “I am the only person in the government of Israel who ever made a business deal in general and a business deal in America in particular,” said [Education Minister Naftali] Bennett. “I lived in the US for years. I know New York and the American business world… What I learned about dealmaking in America from this is to tell the truth, even if it is unpleasant. Don’t bluff… and I am sure that Trump would be able to appreciate that. The truth is that there is no [feasible] deal. The maximum that we are willing to give and the minimum that they are willing to accept don’t jive. As for saying that it’s possible, creating hopes and then causing disappointments and, later, violence, I don’t see who benefits from that. President Trump is talking about a deal? Let’s talk about the real deal. The real deal is economic peace and expanded [Palestinian] autonomy… All the rest is an illusion, and it will be shattered.” [Al-Monitor] 

KAFE KNESSET — Preparing for Friedman — by Tal Shalev and JPost’s Lahav Harkov: Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz sat down in DC yesterday with new US Ambassador David Friedman for a chat before Friedman embarks on his trip to Israel. During the meeting, also attended by Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer, Katz presented the two regional and economic initiatives he has been pushing — the artificial island off the coast of Gaza and a regional rail network that will connect Israel, Jordan and the Gulf States. Katz told Kafe Knesset that he “was very impressed by my meeting with Ambassador Friedman, by his knowledge, vision and sincere concern for the security and well-being of the State of Israel. I am convinced that his activities in Israel will strengthen and deepen the historic alliance between the United States and Israel. I am happy to find a partner to promote regional economic initiatives that will change the reality for the benefit of all the countries of the region and the Palestinian residents.” Today Katz is expected to present the initiatives to members of the National Security Council, and Jason Greenblatt is also expected to participate. Read today’s entire Kafe Knesset here[JewishInsider]

David Friedman: “I am arriving in Israel on May 15 to represent the United States as Ambassador to Israel.I hope to work out of Jerusalem very soon! 🇺🇸🇮🇱” [Twitter]

ON THE HILL — – Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Brian Mast (R-FL) introduced legislation yesterday to increase funding for Arrow 3 system, an anti-ballistic missile defense program. “As the threat of terror explodes in the unstable Middle East, it’s critical that we defend our vital ally, Israel, and strengthen our military partnership,” Gottheimer said. Mast, who personally volunteered in the Israeli military after losing both of his legs while serving in Afghanistan, emphasized the bipartisan nature of this legislation. “This bipartisan legislation would expedite the development of the Arrow 3 long-range missile defense system, which is absolutely critical to Israel’s defense and stability in the Middle East,” he noted. The measure calls for an increase of $105 million to Israel for fiscal year 2018 to fund the program. [JewishInsider] 

“Progressives Need a New Foreign Policy Vision. This Democratic Senator Says He Has One” by Eric Levitz: “One foreign policy issue that Democratic voters have strong — and often, diametrically opposed — views on is the Israel-Palestine conflict. Polls show that younger progressives are much more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than their elders. And many such voters, along with pro-Israel, anti-occupation groups like J Street, believe that the United States should do more to discourage Israeli settlement expansion, and bring an end to the occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza. Do you agree?

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): “I think that conflict is very hard to resolve given the existing leadership on both sides of the divide. The United States has always had a tricky position. We have to stand by Israel as a sacred friend in that region, but we also know historically that no deals get done unless the United States isn’t willing to tell some hard truths to Tel Aviv. The settlement construction under Netanyahu did make peace less likely because it ultimately carved out sections of a future Palestinian state in a way that wasn’t constructive. I think, I’m a believer in supporting Israel, but also in not being afraid to call them out, when they’re doing something that isn’t ultimately good for peace. I think you can walk that line. I don’t support those that the only way you are a friend to Israel is to support whatever the existing government asks you to support.”” [NYMag] 

–Worth noting: Sen Murphy says “to tell some hard truths to Tel Aviv” and not Jerusalem.

** Good Tuesday Morning! Enjoying the Daily Kickoff? Please share us with your friends & tell them to sign up at [JI]. Have a tip, scoop, or op-ed? We’d love to hear from you. Anything from hard news and punditry to the lighter stuff, including event coverage, job transitions, or even special birthdays, is much appreciated. Email Editor@JewishInsider.com **

BUSINESS BRIEFS: Sam Zell on WeWork: “I wouldn’t let those virtual office guys near my business ‘with a ten-foot pole'” [CNBC] • Eliot Spitzer’s marketing campaign puts the ‘high’ in high-rise [NYPost] • Sir Philip Green £433 million worse off, according to Rich List [TheJC] • Harry Macklowe may be secretly selling artwork amid $2B divorce [NYPost] • Hedge fund activist Paul Singer just found his next target [CNBC] • Hedgie Gerstner says United Airlines still has much to gain [NYPost] • Waze Now Lets You Record Navigation Instructions in Your Own Voice [lifehacker] • Has Uber Killed Off Its Self-Driving Trucks? Federal records show that Otto’s 18-wheelers are covering fewer miles than ever before [BackChannel]

“Mercer Sued by former Hedge Fund employee David Magerman who claims he was fired for calling Mercer racist” by Erik Larson: “The complaint by David Magerman, a research scientist who worked at Renaissance Technologies LLC for two decades, alleges he was wrongfully fired April 29 after his relationship with [Robert] Mercer and his family became toxic. For example, Magerman alleges that Mercer’s daughter, Rebekah Mercer, a member of Trump’s transition team, called him “pond scum” at a celebrity poker tournament. The confrontation “just shows the hostility that the Mercers had toward Mr. Magerman because he dared to challenge their political views,” his lawyer, H. Robert Fiebach, said in a phone call on Monday…”

“The dispute started on Jan. 16 when Magerman called Mercer and asked to have a conversation about his support of Trump… During the chat, Mercer said… that black Americans “were doing fine” in the late 1950s and are the “only racist people remaining in the U.S.,” according to the complaint. “Magerman was stunned by these comments and pushed back,” according to the complaint… Magerman complained about Mercer’s comments to Co-Chief Executive Officer Peter Brown, who “expressed disbelief” and urged the two men to speak again… Magerman agreed and called Mercer back on Feb. 5. “I hear you’re going around saying I’m a white supremacist,” Mercer said.” [Bloomberg; WSJ] • Robert Mercer, Trump’s Sugar Daddy, Is Being Sued [VanityFair]

“Michael Bloomberg Sounds Off on Trump, Clinton and the Media” by Alexandra Steigrad: “Bloomberg said he had a post-election chat with Trump, in which he said: “Look Donald, you don’t know anything.” “We’ve got to cut him a little slack,” he said, emphasizing that it’s in everyone’s best interest that Trump succeeds as president… Eventually, the chat turned back to politics and why Clinton couldn’t close the deal. “Hillary ran a campaign that was flawed and Obama didn’t really help her,” he said… “Trump won…even if he didn’t win the popular vote. He had a positive message… I’m going to do something….The only thing Hillary said was vote for me because I’m a woman…and Trump is bad.”” [WWD]

“Sheryl Sandberg: fighting fake news and Facebook’s future” by Hannah Kuchler: “With her smooth manner, it’s little wonder that there has been speculation that Sandberg could run for political office, but she says that since her husband’s death she feels more tied to Facebook, where people continue to post memories on his page. When she was young, she thought she would work in government or a non-profit, never a company. What changed? “I think when technology happened, that Google, Facebook, these companies have as much of a mission as other organisations,” she says… Rumours were fuelled when Mark Zuckerberg embarked on a US tour to meet community groups, churches and businesses that appeared remarkably similar to an election campaign trail. Does she think he might run for president? “No.” And you? “Nope, I’ve said no.” [FT] • Inside Zuckerberg’s real political strategy [Axios]

RISING STAR: “Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of John F. Kennedy, is ready for his time in the spotlight” by Rachel Shukert: “Last week, in a joint television interview with his mother [Caroline Kennedy] on The Today Show last week, [Jack] Schlossberg, in his first live TV appearance, explained their decision to award this year’s John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award to former President Barack Obama… When asked about his plans for the future on Today—particularly in regards to one day seeking public office—he was non-committal… But he also left the door wide open and swinging on its hinges: “I’m inspired by my family’s legacy of public service. It’s something I’m very proud of. But I’m still trying to make my own way and figure things out. So stay tuned—I don’t know what I’m going to do.”” [Tablet] 

LongRead — “Taking Down Terrorists in Court: Zainab Ahmad has prosecuted thirteen international terrorist suspects for the American government. She hasn’t lost yet” by William Finnegan: “Ahmad had a multifaceted upbringing. She grew up in suburban Nassau County, Long Island, with her father and stepmother and two younger brothers, and she also lived part time with her mother, in Manhattan. Her parents had divorced, amicably, when she was an infant, and, as Zainab grew, according to her father, Naeem, “she would play Mom off against Dad, but always for one thing—to buy more books.” “We felt comfortable here,” Naeem told me, when I visited him and his wife, Nasrin, at their home, in East Meadow. “I felt comfortable with my neighbors, and never told my children to avoid kids because they’re Christian, Jewish—none of that.” (Most of Zainab’s friends as a child were Jewish.) Naeem, a retired engineer, is an active member of a local mosque, and has taught Sunday school since the nineteen-eighties. “I am a very religious man,” he said. “But not a religiosity man. I don’t care what other people do.”” [NewYorker]

PROFILE: “A Travel Ban’s Foe: A Young Firebrand and Her Pro Bono Brigade” by Miriam Jordan: “Saying he admired [Becca] Heller’s “chutzpah,” Charles Bronfman, the Seagram heir and an executive whose organization had already given her a $100,000 prize, threw a fund-raiser for her last month at his Fifth Avenue apartment. Ms. Heller, who uses profanity when ranting and raving, kept her promise to Mr. Bronfman that she would sanitize her speech. She drew chuckles from the two dozen guests when she referred with irony to the president’s “excellent” policies, and when she threatened to steal a Chagall mounted on the wall. “We made a lot of money,” she said afterward, declining to say how much. But all the attention has helped triple the IRAP budget this year, to $6.5 million, she said. During a summer in Israel, Ms. Heller quit an internship and traveled to Jordan, where she met Iraqi refugees stuck in a state of limbo that appalled her. After finagling meetings with the United Nations refugee agency and the United States Embassy so she could better understand the resettlement process, she returned to Yale and, with another student, founded IRAP — the “I” then standing for Iraqi.” [NYTimes] 

TALK OF OUR NATION: “It took a century to create the weekend—and only a decade to undo it” by Katrina Onstad: “The state of the weekend is an ongoing battle in Israel, where the official weekend is the day and a half that constitutes the Sabbath, from Friday evening through Saturday. But Israel’s weekend is changing, too—tensely. Some Orthodox Jews, appalled at Sabbath-breakers, have reportedly thrown stones at Israelis taking the bus on Saturdays. With Arabs and Christians to please, there have been calls for a full, two-day Friday-Saturday weekend to accommodate holy days for all groups.” [Quartz] 

“Why was this Passover different from all other Passovers?” by Susan Abeles: “I was punished, and effectively forced out of my job of over 26 years, because I observed Passover. So I’m going to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear my case… As I made in my case, each year during my 26 years at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), I submitted a list of all Jewish holidays on which I would take leave that year, a procedure that was always accepted by my different supervisors… In 2013, I followed the same protocol as I had for decades… Then the MWAA… placed me on AWOL for the last two days of Passover for violating leave policy and suspended me in May for an additional five days without pay with an added-on insubordination charge for using my own vacation time to worship God.” [TheHill] 

TRANSITION: Jonathan Schulman has been hired as AIPAC’s National Synagogue Initiative Director. Jonathan originally came to AIPAC in 2006 joining their Southeast office as the first ever regional Synagogue Initiative Director in the country. In 2008, Jonathan moved to Washington, DC to become the National Deputy Director of the Synagogue Initiative.

HOLLYWOOD: “Is “Norman” good for the Jews?” by Jeffrey Salkin: “Norman is a collection of classic Jewish archetypes – a macher (a person who gets things done), a schnorrer (a beggar), and even sometimes, despite himself, a mensch. But, more often, he is a name dropper, a business card distributor, and a people collector. His life is a viral contagion of favors, in which he owes people, people owe him, and people owe each other because they owe Norman… We meet Norman at every major Jewish conference and convention. He hangs out on the fringes, and sometimes on the inside, of every Jewish organization. In fact, the film features a knowing facsimile of an AIPAC policy convention. And so, is “Norman” good for the Jews? Let’s just say this. “Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer” would have killed my grandmother. And yours, too, come to think of it.” [ReligionNewsService]

SPORTS BLINK: “Los Angeles Makes Its Case for 2024 Olympics” by Matthew Futterman: “Casey Wasserman, the sports and entertainment executive chairing the Los Angeles bid, recently said in a conference call with the media that the characteristics that have “made our bid viable and popular remain the same from the beginning, and that is the opposite of what has driven people to criticize other bids.” [WSJ]

BIRTHDAYS: Owner of St. Louis-based Harbour Group Industries, investor in 200 companies in 40 industries, US Ambassador to Belgium (2007-2009), Sam Fox turns 88… Vice President of Global Public Policy at Facebook, previously White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy (2006-2009), law clerk for Justice Scalia (1999-2000), Joel D. Kaplan turns 48… ‘Downtown macher’ Nathaniel Rosen, a Blackstone associate starting HBS this fall (h/t DB)… Business executive and philanthropist, co-managing partner of Bain Capital, owner of a minority interest in the Boston Celtics, Jonathan Lavine turns 51… Budapest-born philanthropist and social activist, she marched in Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965, Eva Haller turns 87… Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter, James L. Brooks(family name was Bernstein) turns 77… Guitarist and record producer, best known as a member of the rock-pop-jazz group “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” Steve Katz turns 72… Winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, professor of structural biology at Stanford University, lives in both Israel and California, Michael Levitt turns 70…

Pianist, singer-songwriter, composer and one of the best selling recording artists of all time, Billy Joel turns 68… Physician in Burlington, Vermont, she was the First Lady of Vermont from 1991 until 2003 when her husband Howard Dean was Governor, Judith Steinberg Dean turns 64… Media, entertainment and technology entrepreneur and inventor, Brian D. Litman turns 63… Film director, film producer, playwright, author, marketing executive and arts philanthropist, Barry Avrich turns 54… DC-based, chief national correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, Mark Leibovich turns 52… Journalist, author, and political commentator, he is currently a co-founder and editor-in-chief at Vox, and formerly wrote for and edited Wonkblog at the Washington Post, Ezra Klein turns 33 (h/ts Playbook)… Mikhael Smits turns 21…

Gratuity not included. We love receiving news tips but we also gladly accept tax deductible tips. 100% of your donation will go directly towards improving Jewish Insider. Thanks! [PayPal]

Daily Kickoff: Magerman sues Mercer | Wine in hand, Navarro attacks Kushner, Trump at ADL | Comey on the Holocaust | Is ‘Norman’ good for the Jews? Read More »

These 7 smartphone apps make life easier for religious Jews

Leave a Comment / Tech /

These days there are smartphone applications for pretty much anything, from ordering food to finding a date to reporting anti-Semitic incidents.

But what about tools for living a religious Jewish life? Well, there are apps for that, too.

Whereas in the time before smartphones, observant Jews may have had to ask their rabbis certain questions or — gasp! — read a book, now there are apps available that can help with everything from putting on tefillin correctly to finding the nearest kosher eatery.

Here are seven useful downloads for those who lead — or wish to lead — a more observant Jewish life.

Tefillin Mirror: The rules regarding how to put on tefillin can be confusing — for example, the head phylactery has to line up in the middle of the wearer’s forehead and it also has to stay above the hairline. This app functions as a mirror with three vertical lines that help the user properly align the tefillin.

Minyan Now: Time to pray but can’t find a synagogue? This app alerts Jews that someone nearby is looking for a minyan (the quorum of 10 people required to say certain prayers). Users can chat to coordinate a meeting place as they wait for 10 people — men in this case, as the app follows Orthodox customs — to respond.

Shabbat & Holiday Times: Need to know when to light the Shabbat or holiday candles? This app shows the start and end times of Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Users can enter any location in the world or allow the app to access their phone’s location for accurate times.

Kosher Near Me: This app is perfect for travelers or anyone looking to explore new kosher options closer to home. Users can peruse kosher food selections — restaurants, grocery stores and takeout — around the world, including in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, France, Ecuador, Gibraltar and South Korea. Listings also include reviews written by users.

Smart Siddur: The days of schlepping around prayer books are long gone thanks to this app. This high-tech siddur features the three daily prayers and services for various Jewish holidays in a clean, easy-to-read interface. It syncs with the Jewish calendar, displaying holiday-specific prayers on the appropriate days so users need not worry about forgetting any special liturgy.

Sefaria: Now it’s easy to study Jewish texts on the go. Sefaria, which was created by the website of the same name, offers a library of works, including the Torah, Talmud and Midrash, as well as Kabbalah, philosophy and a multitude of commentaries. Texts are available in Hebrew and English, and users can search the entire library for specific words or phrases.

@TheKotel: Jews from around the world visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem to pray. With this app, users can leave a prayer at the holy site without having to leave their homes. Electronically sent prayers are printed out and placed in crevices at the holy site, as is the custom.

These 7 smartphone apps make life easier for religious Jews Read More »

Man waving meat cleaver and threatening Jews arrested in London

Leave a Comment / Worldwide /

An unidentified man waving a meat cleaver and a large knife who allegedly threatened Jews in a heavily Jewish neighborhood in North London was arrested.

The man reportedly tried to enter a kosher food shop during the incident on Tuesday but was prevented from doing so when staff locked the door, according to a statement issued by the London-based Campaign Against Antisemitism.

He then entered a second kosher store shouting “Where is the boss, I will kill him!” Told that the owner was not there, the man allegedly ran out of the shop toward two Jewish girls, aged 8 and 14, shouting “You Jews run away from here before I kill you.”

The incident took place in the Stamford Hill neighborhood of London, which includes many haredi Orthodox residents.

Shomrim, the volunteer Jewish neighborhood patrol, tracked the man as he entered an apartment block and sealed off the area, allowing London Metropolitan Police to arrest him, according to reports. Police said the man was white and in his 60s.

“This is an extremely frightening incident and it is very fortunate that there are no injuries reported,” Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, said in a statement. “We commend Stamford Hill Shomrim and the Metropolitan Police Service for their bravery in rushing to the scene to protect the public. Violent anti-Semitic crime continues to rise at an alarming rate and will continue to do so until anti-Semitic incitement is taken seriously by the authorities before it translates into violence.”

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Cookies for Barghouti; Crumbs for Palestinian people

Leave a Comment / Opinion /

Hunger strikes usually conjure up images of a united front of beleaguered campaigners for a just cause led by a heroic, larger-than-life leader.

Rarely however, does the mastermind behind a 1,000-strong hunger strikers get caught stuffing his face.

Now some Palestinians are left hungering for some truth.

Marwan Barghouti — the self-promoted reincarnation of Nelson Mandela — and a convicted murderer, recently called on Palestinians in Israeli prisons to join him in a hunger strike for better conditions. Only problem is a video showing Barghouti “eating two cookies and a candy bar in the toilet stall of his cell. The video shows Barghouti appearing to try to hide the evidence by flushing the wrapper down the toilet.”

Once a self-declared “peace advocate,” Barghouti turned mastermind of Intifada suicide bombing attacks against Israel. Barghouti was sentenced to fifteen years in jail on five counts of murder and membership in a terrorist organization. Just as he sent suicide bombers out to die during 2002-2005 while remaining safely behind the scenes, he now munches on cookies and, in the words of Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, while he “urged his fellow prisoners to strike [against prison conditions] and suffer while he ate behind their back.”

It is this Cookie Monster of Palestinian Murder Incorporated who, from behind bars, plots the destruction of democratic Israel while the Palestinian man and woman in the street, beggared by the pervasive corruption of the Palestinian Authority, struggle to survive on the crumbs.

Barghouti’s shameful, murderous hypocrisy is also reflected in another member of the Barghouti clan, Omar, who founded the so-called BDS (Anti-Israel) boycott of Israel. Never designed to help a single Palestinian, its goal is to use “soft power” to demonize and cripple the Jewish state. Among their main “victories”, forcing Sodastream to close its factory built past the 1967 Green Line. As a result, Palestinian workers who were paid equal salaries as their Jewish co-workers, lost their ability to sustain their families. Recently arrested for tax evasion, he was allowed to travel to Yale to pick up the Gandhi Peace Prize!

Hate, hypocrisy, terrorism, and corruption of their leaders only delay and derail the hope of Palestinians for a bright future.

Instead of leading boycotts of Israelis, Palestinians should have attended the recent. 2017 Milken Global Conference. There a panel which included renowned venture capitalist and former UC Regent Chair Richard C. Blum, a Rwandan businesswomen-activist Clare Akamanzi, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, Angela Homsi, Director of Angaza-Africa Impact Innovation Fund, joined with Jeremy Bentley, Head of Financial Institutions and Public Sector, Citi Israel, and other Israeli hi-tech innovators to discuss visionary but practical projects. Among the ideas discussed were using drones to overcome the infrastructure deficit across the developing world, foster new technologies to enable nations to meet sustainable development and climate goals, and jump-starting business startups across Africa.

Don’t look for purported “next generation” Palestinian leaders like the Barghoutis to embrace the true path towards peace and statehood. So long as there are millions pouring from the UN, governments, and NGOs that help sustain the bigotry, corruption and terrorism, Palestinians thirsting for opportunity in the here-and-now are having to forge their own path to a brighter and more prosperous future.

Let us hope that the new leaders of the United Nations, Secretary General Antonio Guterrez and US President Donald Trump will lead the way by halting the funding of fraudsters, bigots, and murderers, and instead begin to invest in all those interested in real peace.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper is Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Dr. Harold Brackman is a historian and consultant to the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

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Pepe the Frog creator kills off cartoon character turned hate meme

Leave a Comment / United States /

Pepe the Frog, an online cartoon character whose image was co-opted by anti-Semites and white nationalists associated with the “alt-right,” has been killed off by his creator.

A Pepe cartoon released Saturday shows the Matt Furie character in an open casket being mourned by other characters from his “Boys’ Club” strip that debuted online in 2005. The first printed version was released in 2006.

Furie portrayed Pepe as a stoner who did as he pleased and frequently used the catchphrase “feels good man.” The alt-right adopted the character as a mascot after it was repurposed on far-right message boards. Images of the frog, variously portrayed wearing a Hitler mustache, a yarmulke or a Ku Klux Klan hood, proliferated in hateful messages aimed at Jewish and other users on Twitter.

In September 2016, the Anti-Defamation League added Pepe the Frog to its online hate database.

Following the casket cartoon, Twitter users leapt to Pepe’s defense, some saying the internet meme would live on and others showing images of Pepe dressed as Jesus and writing “He is risen.”

“It’s completely insane that Pepe has been labeled a symbol of hate, and that racists and anti-Semites are using a once peaceful frog-dude from my comic book as an icon of hate,” Furie said when the ADL announced the characters inclusion as a hate symbol. “It’s a nightmare, and the only thing I can do is see this as an opportunity to speak out against hate.”

He said in a Time magazine essay that “Pepe is love.”

Donald Trump Jr. stirred up a controversy last year by posting a photoshopped image of Pepe alongside himself and various Trump advisers in a caricature of ads for the movie “The Expendables,” but relabeled “The Deplorables” in the wake of a comment by candidate Hillary Clinton.

https://twitter.com/atakpa__/status/861224392763650048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jta.org%2F2017%2F05%2F09%2Fnews-opinion%2Funited-states%2Fcreator-kills-off-cartoon-character-turned-hate-meme-pepe-the-frog

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Wine in hand, Ana Navarro’s freewheeling ADL speech

Leave a Comment / United States /

Republican strategist and political commentator Ana Navarro, sipping from a glass of wine, veered on and off script as she addressed the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) National Leadership Summit in Washington, DC on Monday night.

[This story originally appeared on jewishinsider.com]

Navarro, who is known for her fierce opposition to Donald Trump in her capacity as a political contributor on CNN, recounted the controversial moments of the 2016 presidential campaign, concluding that the Jewish community cannot rely on President Trump to stand up against bigotry and anti-Semitism. “Donald Trump has not made America great again,” she said, “Donald Trump has made American hate again. Today, we have a President who is either a bigot or has complacently allowed it because it served his political purposes. And it did – he won. But that was the wrong thing to do.”

In between those remarks, Navarro — either for the purpose of entertaining or under the influence of wine — took no prisoners while discussing the Trump Administration.

From her intro: “Did you guys hear how Barbra Streisand is blaming her weight gain on Trump? Stop laughing! I am too. It’s like I am pregnant with this baby, Rosemary’s baby. I do not know what to do about this. I cannot stop eating and drinking since this man got elected… By the way, are there any Trump supporters in the room? Go ahead, this is a room full of great tolerance. We can accept you. You might be in the wrong room, though. If there are any Trump supporters here, you’re welcome. Put your knives down. I will find something nice to say about him: He’s been good for Israel. Okay, I am done. I should also tell you… I am Ashkenazi Jewish — and Sephardic. And I am also the descendant of slaves, and Hispanic. So basically, Donald Trump has offended all of me, every single part of me. I ended up having an unbroken DNA thread with Amy Schumer, which means I am also a distant cousin of Chuck Schumer. Oy!”

Viewer discretion advised: “I know you all stand against defamation, but I am going to ask for a little bit dispensation today. Can I? Look, there is no way I can talk about the state of our government, about the state of politics today without attacking a couple of people. But if it’s warranted, accurate and true, it’s not defamation. It’s justice.”

The one good thing about Trump: “Like I said, I am going to say one good thing about Donald Trump today: I think he has been supportive of Israel’s right to exist. I am not sure he can find Israel on the map. I am not sure he doesn’t think it’s a deli in the Bronx. But nevertheless, he’s been supportive and for that one little thing, I am grateful… Other than liking matzah — in the same way he likes taco bowls — Donald Trump does understand that Israel has the right to exist, and that is – in my eyes – one of his few saving graces.”

On Jared’s Middle East portfolio: “I am not sure how much Jared understands [about the Middle East], but, you know, he’s got a lot on his plate. Keeping Ivanka happy can’t be easy. Getting his family out of financial straits can’t be easy either.”

On Steve Bannon: “What do you do with Steve Bannon? I don’t know what to tell you. Look — oy! They keep saying that Jared and Ivanka are Jewish, so, you know, Trump is good because his daughter and son-in-law are Jewish. Well, go to them. I mean, surely you’ve got friends who know these people. Um. Hell, even I have friends who know these people. That’s why I am not deported yet – yet.”

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Opponents of Israel’s Nationality Law ought to propose their own version of it

Leave a Comment / Israel, News, Rosner's Domain /

So we are back where we were three years ago, and if you don’t remember where we were three years ago, that’s hardly your fault. Many other issues have been put forward and tabled since the latest round of Israeli debate about the so-called “Nationality Law.” Israel has survived these three years, and in some areas has even improved, without a nationality law. Still, the government wants such a law, and earlier this week its ministers greenlighted a legislative effort toward this goal.

What is a nationality law? Good question. The short answer is: a new Basic Law (basic laws are Israel’s substitute for a constitution) that legally defines Israel as a Jewish State. The long answer is: There are many versions of this proposed legislation. All of them contain, in some way, a definition of Israel as a Jewish State – but the language of each version is different, and hence the meaning of each version is different. Some strive to make it a bolder statement that makes Israel’s Jewishness a crucial legal factor. Some want declarative language on Jewishness that also makes it clear that democratic principles govern Israel’s actual practicalities.

Three questions are worth considering as we enter a debate about the legislation.

Why now?

Is it necessary?

What is the better legislative language?

Why now: The short answer is that we do not quite know. Last time Israel went through this debate, it was a pretext for new elections. So maybe the Prime Minister is just preparing for another electoral round by adding this piece to the agenda of his current coalition – an agenda item that will help him draw a contrast between those supportive of nationality legislation (him and his coalition partners) and those in opposition to the law (the “left”). For Netanyahu, this is easy campaign material: “we” are for Jewish State – “our rivals” want Israel to cease from being a Jewish State.

Is this law necessary? Three years ago, I was involved in some way in writing a recommendation against having such a law. The recommendation to the Justice Minister, authored by Prof. Ruth Gavison, stated that “Questions of vision are not legal questions, and should not be decided by law or in courts. A separate anchoring of the vision would transfer the locus of discussion about disagreements on interpretations of the vision from the public and political arenas to the courts. Against the background of Israeli reality, this process will enhance uncertainty and disagreement.”

The recommendation still stands. But opposition to it – that is, support for legislation – also stands. Proponents of the new legislation argue that against a backdrop of attempts to delegitimize Israel’s character as a Jewish State there is a need for such a declarative statement. They also believe that Israel’s High Court tends to interpret Israel’s laws in ways that undermine Israel’s Jewish character, and hence they want a specific law that will make such interpretation more difficult. As Moshe Koppel explained in an article in support of this legislation: “Why do we need this law? Broadly speaking, the law serves two purposes. The first is to provide a sort of mission statement for the state and the second is to fill a specific lacuna in Israel’s legal system.”

So you see – there is a debate. Some believe the law is indeed necessary, and some believe it isn’t necessary, even damaging. The question becomes, then, are we going to have this debate conducted with the seriousness necessary when a constitutional change is considered, or is it going to be one of those nasty and unproductive legislative battles that end up with the Knesset passing a highly controversial law by a slight and occasional majority (or maybe, quite possibly, this round, much like previous rounds, will end without having new legislation).

And what about the language of the law? Some might say that no language can make such vile legislation acceptable. And that goes back to the question of necessity. But having a pragmatic discussion means not just being in opposition to a new legislation, it also means being ready to affect this legislation if it appears to have a majority. That is, to amend it in ways that make it more acceptable even in the eyes of those in opposition to it.

What would make such legislation more acceptable to some of its opponents? Prof. Gavison made some recommendations. But it is quite clear that the coalition has no intention to follow these guidelines. Its leaders want a quick, decisive legislative move – maybe because they know that’s the only way to pass such legislation. Gavison proposed the opposite of that: “Discussions of the proposals should be conducted in a broad framework, as would befit an attempt to enact constitutional provisions. These should not be limited to the coalition or even to the Knesset factions. It should be agreed that an attempt will be made to reach a formulation that most of the sectors could accept, and that would generate a broad — even if not full — agreement. The issues should also be raised with the leadership of Jewish communities abroad. The process should be designed to garner the highest legitimacy it can have. There should be no strict deadline, indicating that this is a law of great constitutional significance.”

Does this mean Israel is doomed to pass an unnecessary and harmful legislation? I don’t think so. First – because it doesn’t yet have an agreed upon language. Not even the coalition agrees on the language. The decision by the cabinet was to greenlight the process, but it has not yet greenlighted the final wording of the legislation. This will be a matter for further discussion and debate. Maybe the result will be new legislation – and maybe it will be a debate with no end.

Moreover, this new debate over language is not just a threat, but also an opportunity. Opponents of the legislation can now make the case against the legislation – or make a case concerning the content of new legislation. It is true that many proponents of the legislation have political aims in mind as they ponder their options. It is true that some of them want the language to be stronger and even more disturbing to opponents of the legislation. Still, denouncing the intention of the authors of the new legislation to pass a nationality law is not enough. Engaging in conversation with them about the content of the legislation is essential. That is, if conversation is something that Israelis are still capable of doing. There are days I think they can, and days I am no longer certain.

Opponents of Israel’s Nationality Law ought to propose their own version of it Read More »