Dickinson College, the small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, reaffirmed their stance against boycotts on Feb. 27, including boycotts against Israel.
Neil Weissman, the college’s provost, told the student-run Dicksonian newspaper that the college is opposed to boycotts because they “interfere with the free flow of exchanges of ideas and peoples.”
Weissman explained that Dickinson’s anti-boycott policy was first adopted in 1907, and the college renewed their commitment to the policy in 2014, when the American Studies Associations voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions.
In December, Dickinson’s Student Senate passed a resolution urging the college to ban Sabra hummus from being sold on campus. The resolution stated that the Strauss Group partially owns Sabra hummus, and the group supports “the Israeli Defense Force brigade, which maintains a cycle of oppression for Palestinian peoples in violation of international law.”
The college announced after the resolution’s passage that they would not ban Sabra hummus from campus. Weissman told The Dicksonian, “If students or anyone choose not to buy Sabra hummus, it’s their choice. But as far as I know, we are not intending to take it off the shelves. We’re strongly committed to the policy and intend to maintain it.”
After the Dickinson Student Senate passed the resolution in December, Journal contributor and Israeli-based writer Hen Mazzig sarcastically tweeted, “RIP Israel’s economy.” He added in a subsequent tweet that Sabra is “based in [New York] and is operated by PepsiCo and was started by a rabbi in West Hempstead, NY, on Long Island. So are they boycotting it because Hummus is an Israeli dish? I’m so lost.”
So I found out Sabra based in NY and is operated by PepsiCo and was started by a rabbi in west hempstead, NY, on Long Island. So are they boycotting it because Hummus is an Israeli dish? I’m so lost 😖 pic.twitter.com/2CzkYW2LYg
Trump’s Peace Plan Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas kept saying no to peace, yet Israel, illogically and self-defeatingly, kept offering more (“From Rabin to Trump: A Price for Saying No?” Feb. 7).
Arafat and Abbas didn’t “nourish” a right-wing Israeli narrative; those leaders have made it crystal clear that their only goal is the elimination of the Jewish state. It’s time to re-read the PLO Charter and the 2017 Hamas document. Peaceful coexistence has never been on their radar.
Making payouts to terrorists and their families and continued teaching of Jew-hatred to children has not “reinforced” this view.
Reality cannot be dismissed as a mere right-wing narrative, except at great peril. Julia Lutch, Davis, Calif.
American Support for Israel I’ve greatly admired Shmuel Rosner for years. So it pains me to say it but the assertion that “Israel has a right to exist” is not a cliché but is fundamental (“What’s Left of Bipartisan Support for Israel?” Feb. 21). It implies no incursions, no missiles from over the southern border, no terrorism (whether from stabbings or cars plowing into crowds, or car or bus bombs), no foreign invasion and, as an existing sovereign nation, also a right to friendly relations and trade with neighbors. “The right to exist” means a great deal. So I don’t understand his sarcastic comment, “Well, thank you. You have a right to exist, too.” It’s not a cliché at all. It’s a substantial assertion.
Rosner should address the parallel question: With all the settlement-building, and claim of all Jerusalem for eternity, and assertion that Israel is the only country with a right to its seat of government and foreign embassies from other countries in the city, the question is not whether Israel has a right to exist, which of course it does, but whether Palestine also has the same right to exist.
That they both have a right to exist is both a substantial assertion and is unavoidably the underpinning, when it comes, of all peace and security. James Adler, Boston
I found Shmuel Rosner’s article not only interesting but thought provoking. One thing I was able to analyze from it is the relationship between America and Israel. Rosner discussed the declining bipartisan nature of support for Israel, but it doesn’t relate all that specifically to Israel’s continued need for that support. Clearly, the political situation on both sides of the Atlantic is evolving and sensitive to world trends, but the culture of the countries has changed, as well. In the 57 years since AIPAC’s establishment, Israel has changed significantly. No longer simply a resource-poor country dependent on the charity of Diaspora Jewry and Western sympathy, Israel today is a military superpower, an economic miracle and a high-tech center second only to Silicon Valley.
I am left wondering if we, as American Jews, are asking ourselves the right questions. Does Israel still need AIPAC or can it negotiate a new relationship with the United States based on a position of strength rather than one of weakness and dependence? Simcha Uretsky, Los Angeles
I agree with Shmuel Rosner’s article regarding the support of Israel by both parties, and how achieving bipartisan support is difficult in this election season. Many politicians don’t support Israel, according to their recent policy statements. For example, certain Democratic politicians are against attending the AIPAC conference, which strives for a greater support of Israel from all parties. I feel this is a monumental problem. America’s relationship with Israel is extremely important, because together we are stronger. When we can’t achieve full support from American politicians, and their supporters, no problems will ever be solved.
Rosner does a great job describing how certain Democratic candidates are supporting Israel less and less, and with everything that is happening in Israel, it appears that working toward agreements supported by both parties is nearly impossible. Ben Ziv, Sherman Oaks
Shmuel Rosner’s column highlights the state of bipartisan support of Israel by the United States. I agree with his argument. I would point out, though, that the lack of bipartisan support for Israel reflects the lack of bipartisan agreement in American politics today.
Take the military defense policy, for example. Israeli society highly values its military defense. The bipartisanship between the U.S. and Israel needs to have these same views on a strong military defense force, but this cannot be fulfilled if there isn’t even bipartisanship between the two U.S. political parties on this policy. The Democrats do not value a strong military defense force for their own country, so, not surprisingly, they don’t value it for Israel.
Another example of the differences between the two parties is their approach to the economy. The Democrats believe there should be higher taxes and more regulations on businesses, which makes it harder for businesses and startup enterprises. The Israeli society encourages entrepreneurship and new startups. Given these basic differences in policy and vision between the Democratic Party and the Israeli society, it is not surprising that there will not be bipartisan support for Israel. Reuven Feinstein, Los Angeles
Sanders Abandoning Israel It disheartens me to see a Jewish presidential candidate like Bernie Sanders wholeheartedly disown his religion and abandon Israel for the Palestinians (“The Bernie I Know and See Right Through,” Feb. 21). A Jew who fails to condemn Hamas and collaborates with open anti-Semites like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar is a chillul HaShem.
Although he has an array of contentious political ideologies, this anti-Israel sentiment is what concerns me the most. What would Sanders say to his Jewish brothers and sisters whose tragedy has been brought by Islamic terrorism to Israel? Would he show them compassion or turn his back on his religious brethren? Just hope that, in November, we pick a U.S. president who will continue America’s support for Israel. Hillel Nachimson, Los Angeles
Bravo to Thane Rosenbaum for his article on Bernie Sanders — it was spot on.
Sanders is no friend to his fellow Jews or Israel, and the political company he keeps is appalling and frightening. We add an “amen” that the Oval Office will not be his. Rosalyn Weiss Sokoler, West Hills
The Jews Running for President We live in interesting times: We are told that anti-Semitism is on the rise, yet half of the Democratic Party is considering two last-round draft picks for presidential consideration: Mike Bloomberg, flush with stunning amounts of cash but bankrupt on ideas, including a propensity to utter Joe Bidenesque pearls of wisdom ad infinitum, and Bernie Sanders, an unabashed self-hating Jew from a long line (Jewish Hellenists, Karl Marx, George Soros, Noam Chomsky), who looks like he stumbled out of a clown car, hasn’t yet gotten the memo that socialism doesn’t work, and that the Islamists on his staff want Israel dead.
Sound like a terrific movie script? Richard Friedman, Culver City
The quote of Dan Schnur from “Which Presidential Jew Is the One for You?” (Feb. 21) that I want to emphasize is: “What sort of outsiders are we? Truth be told, we still often see ourselves as an oppressed minority. The alarming increase in violence against our synagogues and our people have intensified this feeling, but it is a self-characterization we have justifiably carried with us for thousands of years.”
Violent attacks on Jews were not imaginable in 2015; the crime rate against Jews has skyrocketed since October 2018 when our jaws dropped as we heard about the synagogue attack in Pittsburgh. Yet we still stand in public with our kippot on our heads, walking proudly across Pico Boulevard. We have to be proud of our heritage and what we are doing for the world, but we also have to make a good impression out in public. Our actions speak louder than our words. Elad Zeharya, Tarzana
Positive Sign for the Disabled Rabbi Avi Orlow explains how the icon signifying the parking spot reserved for people with disabilities has been renewed (“It’s Time to Paint Over Barriers for the Disabled,” Feb. 21). The previous image was of a stick figure sitting passively in a wheelchair whereas in the improved version we see that the figure’s head is pointed upward to show the motion of moving forward. The arms of the user are pointed back to indicate the dynamic mobility of the user. I believe that the upgraded version depicts the disabled as one who has goals to accomplish.
As Jews, we are taught that everyone is equal, no matter their background, culture or level of ability. Each person has a role to play in the world and good to contribute. We are sometimes guilty of viewing the disabled as less than or incapable, but this new symbol shows that the impaired are just as capable of accomplishing their goals as anyone else. David Abraham, Los Angeles
In a speech before the House of Lords on Feb. 27, a member of Britain’s Parliament (MP) called Israel the “puppet master” behind the United States’ foreign policy.
The MP, Jenny Tonge, was discussing the need for Britain to have full autonomy over its foreign policy.
“Can the [Prime] Minister [Boris Johnson] assure us that we will do just that and not allow our country to fall under the shadow of the United States of America and its puppet master, Israel?” Tonge asked.
Baroness Tonge – who was kicked out of the Lib Dems for Antisemitism – has just used a speech to describe Israel as 'America's puppetmaster' 😬 pic.twitter.com/MYjNYmo0tL
Tonge’s colleague in the House of Lords, Parry Mitchell, responded to Tonge in a subsequent speech arguing why it’s important to ensure Israel’s safety and security.
“When the noble lady Baroness Tonge sees the passion we Jews have for Israel, it is because so many more of us would have been saved if Israel had existed before [World War II],” Mitchell said. “And that is why for us, Israel’s safety is paramount.”
WATCH!
After her latest outburst in the Lords, Lord Mitchell schools Tonge on why #Israel is so important to us Jews.
The American Jewish Committee condemned Tonge’s remarks.
“We are appalled by Baroness Tonge’s latest anti-Semitic remarks in which she described Israel as the ‘puppet master’ of the United States,” the group tweeted. “Her long and extensive record of Jew-baiting has proven time and again that she is utterly unfit to sit in the British House of Lords.”
We are appalled by Baroness Tonge‘s latest antisemitic remarks in which she described Israel as the “puppet master“ of the United States. Her long and extensive record of Jew-baiting has proven time and again that she is utterly unfit to sit in the British House of Lords. https://t.co/PCDTocQyTy
The Community Security Trust, a British nonprofit that focuses on providing security to Jews as protection from anti-Semitism, tweeted: “Unlike other forms of racism, anti-Semitism ‘punches up,’ not ‘down’: because Jews are accused of evil, hidden power.”
Unlike other forms of racism, antisemitism “punches up”, not “down”: because Jews are accused of evil, hidden power. https://t.co/RvkbbGztWz
According to the UK Independent, Tonge was a member of the Liberal Democrat party until she was suspended in 2016 when she chaired an event in Parliament at which a speaker suggested that Jews are to blame for the Holocaust and compared Israel to ISIS. Tonge resigned from the party after being suspended and is currently an independent.
The House of Lords is the upper house of Parliament. Unlike the U.S. Senate, Congress’ upper chamber, members of the House of Lords aren’t elected. Its membership is granted by appointment or by heredity or official function.
In December, Tonge wrote in a Facebook post that “the pro-Israel lobby won our General Election by lying about Jeremy Corbyn.”
The Austrian Parliament unanimously passed a resolution on Feb. 27 that condemned the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement as anti-Semitic.
The resolution denounces all forms of anti-Semitism, including “Israel-related anti-Semitism.” While it acknowledges that there is valid criticism of Israeli government policies, the resolution says it’s anti-Semitic to undermine “the right of the Jewish people to self-determination,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
“BDS, which has also increasingly appeared in Austria in recent years, makes use of this anti-Semitic pattern,” the resolution states.
The resolution calls on the government to “strongly condemn the BDS movement and its goals, especially the call for a boycott of Israeli products, businesses, artists, scientists or athletes,” the Times of Israel reported, as well as ensure that the government doesn’t provide any funding to BDS causes.
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lior Haiat praised the resolution in a tweet.
“Israel welcomes the unanimous adoption of the clear-cut resolution against #antisemitism and BDS by all parties in the Austrian Parliament,” the tweet read. “This determined decision by Austria sends a very strong signal and serves as an example for other countries in Europe and the world.”
Israel welcomes the unanimous adoption of the clear-cut resolution against #antisemitism and BDS by all parties in the Austrian Parliament.
This determined decision by Austria sends a very strong signal and serves as an example for other countries in Europe and the world. pic.twitter.com/Y1hkIgKZ94
“Thank you to the Austrian Parliament (@OeParl) for standing with Israel and the Jewish community in sending a loud and clear message against the hate-driven movement that is the BDS campaign,” the American Jewish Committee tweeted.
Thank you to the Austrian Parliament (@OeParl) for standing with Israel and the Jewish community in sending a loud and clear message against the hate-driven movement that is the BDS campaign. https://t.co/Kdqi2NfTTA
Democratic Majority for Israel, a pro-Israel lobbying nonprofit founded last year, similarly tweeted, “The resolution leaves room for fact-based criticism of individual Israeli actions, but stresses the country’s right to exist is non-negotiable. We salute you!”
Austria’s parliament voted unanimously (Socialists, Greens & conservatives) to condemn BDS as a form of antisemitism
The resolution leaves room for fact-based criticism of individual Israeli actions, but stresses the country's right to exist is non-negotiable.
In May, the German Parliament — known as the Bundestag — in a nonbinding vote passed a similar resolution, calling BDS anti-Semitic. The resolution cited BDS’ use of “Don’t Buy” stickers as an example of the movement’s anti-Semitism, comparing those stickers to the Nazi slogan “Don’t buy from Jews,” according to Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
(JTA) — Hundreds of Jews from across the country have signed a declaration of support for Elizabeth Warren in the latest effort to influence Jewish voters in the Democratic primaries.
Among the some 850 signatories to the #JewsforWarren declaration are Joshua Malina, the “Scandal” actor who starred in a Hillel get-out-the-vote campaign video in 2018; Rep. Andy Levin, the Michigan congressman who this week denounced criticism of Mike Bloomberg as anti-Semitic; and more than 40 rabbis.
From their letter:
Inspired by the words of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Ancestors), “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it,” we shall continue working to make our nation live up to the progressive values that we hold dear, and we call upon our Jewish family to join us in doing so and in support Elizabeth Warren for President.
The Warren campaign was not involved in the letter, according to Hadar Susskind, one of the progressive activists who organized the effort this week. Instead, he said, the idea emerged from conversations among supporters about how to make their support more visible.
“As someone who is in this space, I get asked often about what I think — about their views on Israel and other issues,” Susskind said. “I’m always happy to talk to people I know about that, but we wanted to do that on a broader scale.”
The signatories live in 43 states, plus Washington, D.C., and abroad. Susskind said the letter would be a “living document” that others could sign and could serve as a tool for organizing.
Among other prominent signatories are Sharon Kleinbaum, the rabbi at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City; Nicole Berner, general counsel for the SEIU labor union; and Hasia Diner, a historian of American Jewry.
Nazis in America? A group of diverse Nazi-hunters led by Al Pacino? Audiences are split on “Hunters,” Amazon Prime’s latest series from David Weil and produced by Jordan Peele. Erin and Esther, who both have complicated feelings, do a deep dive into the many layers and conversations spawned by the “Jewsploitation noir” show, including why it gives Erin nightmares and how it’s contributing tosecular Judaism‘s visibility and representation onscreen.
**CAUTION: This episode contains spoilers from Episode 1 of “Hunters” because Erin is a loose cannon and it’s conversationally helpful, but (mostly) refrains from other spoilers because Esther’s committed to your experience as a potential viewer. You’re welcome.**
(JTA) — An association of Italian rabbis has urged congregants to pray for the well-being of the hundreds of people there and beyond infected with the coronavirus.
“We wish to express our empathy, and that we share the pain for the victims and pray for the healing of the sick, wherever in the world this disease has manifested itself and will strike next,” the Rabbinical Assembly of Italy wrote in a statement about the prayer it published Wednesday.
It ends with the words “Take pity and have mercy and heal all mortal beings for you are good and merciful to all and hear everyone’s prayers.”
The prayers “can be recited publicly in synagogues, where possible, privately, in harmony and in agreed times, or individually,” the association wrote.
Italy is home to the largest outbreak of the virus in Europe, with hundreds infected and at least 12 dead. Synagogue services, along with church and mosque prayers, have been suspended in many parts of the country.
The Milan and Venice regions have been especially hard hit, with some 55,000 people under quarantine, BBC reported Friday. They have been told not to leave for two weeks as authorities try to contain the spread of the virus.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Five years ago this week, Amos Geva took an EasyJet flight from Berlin to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport for a very short visit home.
On his agenda: dinner with his family, a trip to the ballot box and media interviews about his efforts to encourage Israeli expatriates to vote, which cannot be done outside the country.
Those efforts, which galvanized thousands of expats on Facebook, yielded a discount on El Al plane tickets for anyone traveling home for Election Day — something Geva had always known he would do.
“I heard elections had been called and realized I wouldn’t be in Israel for it, and that would mean I couldn’t vote,” Geva told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “I took that for a crazy idea.”
But last year, Geva shut down the Facebook page Israelis Abroad, Come Vote, and this week he’ll be vacationing in Taiwan instead of participating in Israel’s third elections in less than a year.
“Israel is and always will be important to me,” Geva said. “But I have to prioritize my life and schedule around things I can see happening. And I don’t see the political scene in Israel changing for the better.”
With Israelis heading to the polls Tuesday for an unprecedented third time in less than a year, Geva is far from the only Israeli expat declining to get on a plane to cast a ballot. Two prior elections left the country in a virtual political stalemate, and polls indicate there’s unlikely to be a significant shift after the third round of balloting.
“You don’t know if it’s going to have a result or if there’s going to be another time,” said Maayan Hilel, an Israeli scholar living near Chicago. “Israelis are really doubting the system.”
Hilel, who grew up in Beersheba, flew back to vote while he was living in Ireland, despite being frustrated by Israel’s restrictive voting rules. The regulations prohibit almost anyone who is not in the country on Election Day from casting a ballot.
“Even though it was time consuming, expensive and hard to take care of the kids, it was important to take the step to fly back,” she said. “I’m left wing and in Israel every vote is important.”
Israel’s lack of absentee voting stems in part from a worry involving the Right of Return — the law that offers Israeli citizenship to any and all Jews. Some Israelis are concerned that some Diaspora Jews would use the law to become Israeli citizens, then return to their countries of origin, where they would vote in Israeli elections from afar without having to live through the consequences.
Until now, the country has carved out exceptions only for the approximately 5,000 Israeli citizens who serve abroad as diplomats or official emissaries. They can vote in Israeli embassies or consulates, including the nine scattered throughout the United States. For this election, they voted on Feb. 18-19.
Israel also allows some of its voters there to cast their ballots outside of their regular polling places, including soldiers, hospital patients and prisoners.
Workers prepare ballot boxes for the upcoming Israeli election at a central elections committee warehouse in Shoham, before they are shipped to polling stations. March 25, 2019. Photo by Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90
Greece and Ireland also only allow official government emissaries to vote, according to the Israel Democracy Institute, which is advocating for new regulations that would allow many Israelis abroad to vote. Estimates of the number of Israelis living abroad range from about 500,000 to nearly a million — either way, a substantial share of the Israeli electorate.
But many countries make some provision for people who are out of the country to vote. For example, American citizens who live abroad can vote in U.S. federal elections, no matter how long it has been since they visited the United States. Many Americans with dual citizenship and live in Israel take advantage of the opportunity. Countries that follow the U.S. model include Norway, Spain and Belgium.
Other countries put a time limit on eligibility, such as the United Kingdom, where citizens who are abroad for less than 15 years can vote. Australia caps the time at six years.
Ofer Kenig and Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute have proposed a plan to address the issue in Israel.
Under their proposal, the right to vote absentee would be extended to Israelis who are living abroad temporarily but intend to return to live in Israel, to students studying abroad and to young people traveling abroad after their army service. Israeli tourists and businesspeople traveling on the day of the election could cast an early ballot at a polling station in Ben Gurion Airport.
The voting would not be for those where “Israel is no longer the center of their lives,” Kenig told JTA.
The absentee ballot issue has cropped up from time to time on the Israeli political agenda, but the conversation has yet to yield any changes.
That leaves people like Marco Katz grappling with whether to buy plane tickets every time elections are scheduled. He’s an Israeli who heads the Center for Monitoring and Combatting Anti-Semitism in Romania, where he has lived since 1994,
Katz, 60, calls Israel his “center” and his “rock” — he frequently travels there, maintains a home and it’s where his entire family still lives –and believes all Israelis should use their votes to express their opinion about the country’s future.
But this time, feeling he has no party to back, “there is no reason to come to vote,” Katz said.
Still, Katz rejects the idea that Israelis should be able to vote absentee. He worries that large numbers of American Jews will become citizens for the purpose of voting out Israeli leaders they do not like “without sharing the burden” of living in Israel.
“If somebody wants to vote,” he said, “they should go to Israel and do it there.”
But that can be difficult for many reasons, even beyond the expense and hassle of traveling.
Next week’s election comes as an epidemic of coronavirus disrupts air travel and raises questions about the safety of flying back. The epidemic has already complicateddiplomatic voting in Asia.
The election also coincides with the annual conference of the American Israel Political Affairs Committee, a major gathering in Washington, D.C., on Israel issues that many Israelis typically attend.
Gal Ben Naim, 48, an Israeli bank executive who has lived in Los Angeles for 22 years with his American wife, has returned to vote in several elections. He comes from a politically involved family and recalls how his childhood home in Jerusalem was filled with political T-shirts, bumper stickers, signs and neighbors manning the phones for last-minute phone banking “like a war zone.”
“I feel that every vote counts. That is the beauty of democracy,” said Ben Naim, who believes that Israelis should have the right to vote absentee and all Jews should have a say in decisions made in Israel.
This election, however, he says of his vote, “I don’t know if it would even make any difference.”
So Ben Naim, who served in the Israeli army and has a degree from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will not be voting in Israel on March 2. Instead, he will be attending the AIPAC annual conference in Washington, D.C., which was on the calendar long before the election was scheduled.
The combination of scheduling conflicts and election weariness could keep other Israelis from voting, too.
When the date of the election was announced in early December, American-Israeli Kathi Kreske Pearlmutter of Sde Boker, in southern Israel, already had a monthlong trip abroad planned. A high school English teacher on sabbatical for a year, Pearlmutter decided not to change plans in order to vote again.
“To be honest,” she said, “I am fed up with the situation and am not upset about missing it.”
(JTA) — More than a year after the Tree of Life attack in Pittsburgh, every classroom in synagogue religious schools, Jewish day schools and preschools in western Pennsylvania will now be equipped with medical and emergency equipment.
It’s a project of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, whose Security Committee decided earlier this month that the large backpacks should be placed in the classrooms. The Go Bags, as they are called, include first-aid supplies, as well as equipment such as flashlights, hammers, whistles, phone chargers, zip ties and tape to secure doors.
“If we can save a life or even just help someone in distress, every penny we spend on these Go Bags will be worth it,” Jeff Finkelstein, president and CEO of the federation, said in a statement on its website.
The federation’s security director will train teachers and school administrators on how to use the equipment, Finkelstein wrote.
The shooting by a lone gunman at the Tree of Life synagogue building in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood left 11 worshippers dead.
In January, the federation’s new director of community security, Shawn Brokos, told the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle that there are current threats against the Pittsburgh Jewish community that are being investigated by law enforcement.
“We are actively addressing the threats in an effort to do everything we can to protect the community,” Brokos, who recently retired after 24 years with the FBI, told the newspaper. “The partnership between the Federation and law enforcement is so strong, and we continually monitor these threats in an effort to be proactive and not reactive. I don’t want to instill fear in the community, but I want there to be a healthy awareness.”
On Sunday, volunteers from the Pittsburgh Jewish federation packed the Go Bags.
