UK: Labour veteran quits the party and warns its leadership is 'becoming a force for anti-Semitism'

Via The Daily Mail:

Labour was plunged into turmoil today after veteran MP Frank Field sensationally quit blaming Jeremy Corbyn for making the party a 'force for anti-Semitism'.  

Mr Field, 76, told party bosses that after nearly 40 years as a Labour MP he was quitting the party whip and will sit as an independent. 

Labour MP Wes Streeting warned the party now faces a 'catastrophic' split as others will follow Mr Field and quit. 

In a letter detailing his decision made public tonight, Mr Field said Britain fought World War II to defeat Nazis - but under Mr Corbyn's watch that victory is being eroded.  

And in an interview with Sky News, he said he finally made the tough decision after former chief rabbi Lord Sacks accused Mr Corbyn of being an anti-Semite. 

Lord Sacks was responding to a video, exclusively revealed by MailOnline, in which Mr Corbyn told a meeting that British 'Zionists' had 'no sense of English irony'.  

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said the resignation was a 'serious loss' for Labour and must be a 'wake up call' for the party. Mr Streeting warned that more could follow in his footsteps, telling Sky News: 'Frank Field isn't the first and I fear Frank Field wont be the last.'

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UK: Corbyn’s secretary urged voters to avoid candidates who appeared in Jewish newspapers

A BBC documentary on antisemitism in France (2016) revealed that "Many French Jews are coming to London, and one synagogue has been transformed recently by French arrivals, with their congregation in a few years becoming 90 percent French."

Via JTA:

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s longtime secretary urged supporters to oppose candidates who appeared in the Jewish media, The Sun reported.

In a pamphlet published by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign in 2010, Nicolette Petersen recommended that Labour supporters “read the Jewish Chronicle online and look at websites that will show you who not to vote for,” asserting that it was better to divert support from Labour than to support anyone considering himself a “friend of Israel,” according to The Sun on Monday.

“This isn’t about helping Palestinians. It’s about attacking Jews,” Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard said. “The recommendation that activists who want to rid Parliament of Zionists use the Jewish Chronicle for a hit list of targets exposes the truth: that they use the word Zionist as a euphemism for Jew.”

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Booking.com amends “Jerusalem as Israeli settlement” after inquiry from Joods Actueel

Via Joods Actueel:

Internet travel giant booking.com this week amended its policy of referring to Jerusalem as being an “Israeli settlement” after questions from the Belgian Jewish magazine Joods Actueel. Michael Freilich, editor-in-chief of Joods Actueel, received a complaint from one of his readers about the subject.

“The person was looking for a hotel room in Jerusalem and was shocked to discover that Jerusalem was classified as being an “Israeli settlement”. Honestly, I thought it was a hoax until I checked it out myself and saw it with my own eyes.”

The mention of Jerusalem as a settlement appeared throughout the website in all of it’s different languages: Dutch, French, English, Spanish and so on.

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Holland: Ministers say Israel’s deduction of money paid to terrorists by Palestinians is unwise

Via Bad News from the Netherlands blog:

Israel has decided to withhold from tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority payments to terrorists and their families by the PA. In answer to parliamentary questions, ministers Blok and Kaag reply that the Dutch government considers this Israeli decision unwise.  

(Suggested Dutch parliamentary question: If someone kills Dutch ministers, will the Dutch government pay him or her for that?)

read more in Dutch @ CIDI.NL

Belgium: Anti-Semitic caricature removed from textbook

Background: Belgium: Antisemitic Latuff cartoon published in textbook

Via Ynet:

Two months after Ynet first made public a Belgian textbook contained a caricature that could be construed as anti-Semitic, the country's Education Ministry announced Thursday that the upcoming edition of the book will be published without the offensive drawing.

A letter forwarded by Belgian Education Minister Hilde Crevits Thursday to attorney Yifa Segal, director of the International Legal Forum—who first exposed the story—notified the lawyer that after a probe and a talk with the book's publisher, the caricature will be removed starting with the book's next edition.

The minister added that, "One of the education system's goals is to bring up the younger generation to become respectable, informed citizens" and that the Flemish government only set a bar on academic achievement, leaving selection of appropriate books to each school.

The matter initially came to light in late March, when the International Legal Forum NGO was informed by parents from Bruges of a geography textbook intended for 15 year olds and approved by the country's education system.

The chapter in which the caricature appeared dealt with purported inequality in water distribution between Israelis and Palestinians residing in the West Bank. The caricature showed an overweight Jew with traditional Jewish payos (or sidelocks) asleep in a bathtub filled with water, contrasted with an old Palestinian woman with an empty water bucket.

The cartoon—which may have come from the international human rights group itself—carried a caption that read, "Amnesty International: Israel is denying Palestinians access to adequate water … While settlers enjoy lush lawns and swimming pools!"

Attorney Segal, who is deeply involved in the international struggle against the worldwide Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, was astounded by a copy of the textbook she obtained and consequently sent a scathing letter to the Belgian education minister demanding the anti-Semitic caricature be removed summarily. 

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Belgium: Israel's ambassador turns table on Brussels' Gaza reprimand

Via Ynet News:

After being lashed by Belgium and Luxembourg over Israeli policies and its 'disproportionate' use of force during latest wave of unrest, Ambassador Simona Frenkel refuses ‘to listen with a bowed head', tells top diplomats, 'your one-sided positions don’t contribute to peace.'

Israel's Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Simona Frenkel chastised representatives of the two countries’ foreign ministries Wednesday after being summoned to be reprimanded herself following Monday's deadly clashes between the IDF and some 40,000 Gazan protestors. “It seems that the Belgian Foreign Ministry belongs to a school of thought according to which when an ambassador is summoned for a conversation or a reprimand, he is supposed to behave like a child who has misbehaved, to listen with a bowed head and not to respond,” Frenkel wrote in a report sent to the Foreign Ministry.

“I responded and fired back against Belgium: Your one-sided positions do not contribute to peace.” Frenkel was first invited to a meeting with Deputy Director-General of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anick Van Calster, who recently visited Israel.

Van Calster opened by saying that she had been instructed by Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders to invite Frenkel in order to clarify the Belgian position, to voice objections to events that occurred on Monday on the Gaza border and to protest against what was described as a “disproportionate” use of force.

Calster also expressed anger over statements made by Frenkel during an interview with the country’s RTBF radio station, in which she described those killed in Gaza during the wave of unrest as terrorists. “Regarding the independent investigation committee: There has never been an investigation committee that was independent when it comes to our affairs. All of them were political, where there is an automatic majority of people against Israel,” she replied. (...)

“Moreover, Belgium is the last to claim an independent investigation committee since its Prime Minister Charles Michel has determined even before the committee has been established that Israel had to be punished, You have already predetermined the outcome,” Frenkel argued.

She also defended her comments on the radio, drawing Van Calster’s attention to the fact that doubts had already been cast on whether a Gazan baby had in fact been killed by Israeli forces during the protests.

“You raised an outcry because I described them all as terrorists, but this morning we now know that regarding the 8 month old baby who was killed and allegedly hit by the IDF, even the journalists in Gaza are moderating their positions and are saying that she may have already been dying beforehand and was deliberately brought to the fence,” Frenkel noted, before offering what she described as “proof” that the Hamas terror group was responsible for the violent protests. 

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Europeans said boycotting Foreign Ministry event celebrating new US embassy

Via The Times of Israel:

European diplomats will reportedly skip a Foreign Ministry event next week marking the opening of the American embassy in Jerusalem in protest of US President Donald Trump’s recognition of the city as Israel’s capital.

Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inviting the entire foreign diplomatic corps to Sunday’s event, many European envoys, including those from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, will boycott the ceremony, Hadashot TV news reported Wednesday.

“It is a little strange to invite us to celebrate an event that we opposed and condemned. The Americans were more clever and knew in advance not to invite us to save themselves from embarrassment,” the network quoted a diplomatic source as saying. 

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Belgium: Antisemitic Latuff cartoon published in textbook

Via Elder of Ziyon:

A Flemish geography book published a cartoon by noted anti-semite Carlos Latuff

It shows a stereotypical, fat religious Jew enjoying Palestinian water while their own pipes run dry. 

The geography textbook, Polaris GO!, attributes the cartoon to Amnesty International, although Amnesty has nothing to do with the cartoon. The textbook authors decided to attribute the cartoon to Amnesty in an apparent attempt to make it look like it was an official protest cartoon from that organization.

The book reaches many thousands of Flemish children.

Amnesty, when reached by a Jewish newspaper, denied anything to do with the cartoon.

The good news is that the publisher Plantyn agreed to remove the cartoon from future editions of the textbook, although it will keep the misleading Amnesty quote that ."In the ...Israeli settlement of Sussia, whose very existence is unlawful under international law, the Israeli settlers have ample water supplies. They have a swimming pool and their lush irrigated vineyards, herb farms and lawns – verdant even at the height of the dry season – stand in stark contrast to the parched and arid Palestinian villages on their doorstep. "

Keeping the quote while eliminating the picture is still an example of bias in the textbook.

Here is a photo of the Yasser Arafat Museum in Ramallah. Note the lawn. Note the pool.

Of course, the "parched" Palestinians have lots of swimming pools too. But Amnesty would never mention that.

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8 EU states violate UN resolution with Palestinian missions in Jerusalem

Via Israel Hayom:

Despite having voted in favor of resolution condemning U.S. move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which urges states to refrain from operating missions in Jerusalem, eight European states maintain Palestinian consulates or embassies there.

Several European countries have been found to be in violation of a U.N. resolution they themselves supported when condemning U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The U.N. General Assembly resolution that followed the U.S. announcement on Dec. 6 called on all countries "to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem." But the eight European countries in question – Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom – actively operate Palestinian Authority consulates or embassies in Jerusalem despite having voted in favor of the resolution.

The president of the world's largest Zionist Christian organization, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has come out against what he called the "hypocritical and inappropriate conduct of the international community toward Israel and Jerusalem."

ICEJ President Jurgen Buhler sent letters to each of those nation's leaders, in which he noted that "the international community has always called for an even-handed approach to Jerusalem, so as not to prejudge this sensitive final-status issue. Yet here are eight nations that have never been called out for violating this principle by placing their chief missions to the Palestinians in Jerusalem. It turns out the demand for neutrality has just been a hollow pretext for denying the Jewish people and state their rightful place in Jerusalem. So no nation can now complain when a country decides to open an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem.

"Many world leaders have been critical of the recent decision by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Jerusalem, contending that it prejudges a sensitive issue which should left to final-status talks. Instead, they have urged an even-handed approach to Jerusalem. Yet [your country] has been violating this very principle for some time now due to your chief diplomatic mission to the Palestinians being located in … Jerusalem. If you truly wanted to be fair, you would either have both your diplomatic missions to Israel and the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem, or neither." 

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UK: Corbyn ignores Iran, attacks Israel

Via Harry's Place:

Jeremy Corbyn’s silence on the pro-democracy demonstrations in Iran is something that was commented on and forgotten about almost as quickly as the demonstrations were suppressed by the regime. 

Naturally when Israel banned anti-Zionist organisations from the country Corbyn started commenting. According to Electronic Intifada his spokesman said the following;

“Jeremy is concerned by reports that activists campaigning for justice for Palestinians, against illegal settlements and the ongoing occupation have been barred from Israel,”

At the very least it’s a double standard. Since there are draconian reporting restrictions imposed on journalists in Iran and since they actually shut down the internet to stop word of the demonstrations getting out one would say that even labelling this a double standard is harsh on Israel. 

Still it’s Corbyn, the man who served on the Iranian state’s mouthpiece several times from 2009-12. Amnesty International reported that the Islamic Regime hanged at least 1,314 during that period.

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Europe: The NGO industry's terror trail

Via Gatestone Institute:

Gerald Steinberg (NGO Monitor): (...) On the other hand, you have cases like Germany and the European Union, where the officials involved in NGO funding avoid dealing with the evidence. Their first response to anybody providing them information on NGO terror links and antisemitism is to attack by saying, "Ah, that's a right-wing fiction." At the same time, the tight secrecy on all aspects of NGO funding in these countries continues, even in preventing members of parliament from examining the process. In Europe, the images of Palestinian suffering, and the overall sympathy for Muslim victims in general, are so strong that it is very hard to cut through the myths and slogans surrounding them. This is true across the board, even in the British Conservative Party. It is so deeply embedded in the culture that any criticism, including of NGOs with links to terrorists, immediately becomes labeled "Islamophobic." Any time you even look into where money is going, you get hit with political correctness. This is why it is crucial to create visibility and generate concern.

Gatestone: Why is your main focus Europe, with little emphasis on North America?

GS: In the case of the United States – Canada a little bit less, but still more than in Europe -- transparency in government funding is an extremely important policy and practice. Congress is pretty careful about making sure that budgets for NGO-funding frameworks are scrutinized before they are approved. Although some proposals for problematic organizations have slipped through, there is at least genuine openness and debate about the whole mechanism; discussion is routine. In Europe, on the other hand, the first time that a parliamentary debate was even held on such funding was after NGO Monitor published a report. (...)

Gatestone: To what do you attribute this difference?

GS: American culture is characterized by transparency and scrutiny. Also, in America, there is less naivety about NGOs than there is in Europe. After WWII and the Communist period, the concept of "civil society" – later called "NGOs" by the UN -- became holy in Europe. Civil society was supposed to be the antidote to manipulative democracy, like that of the Weimar Republic. But they forgot to ask what happens when civil society is itself the manipulating force. The answer is that there are no checks and balances imposed on it.

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France: Catholic-owned kid's magazine claims Israel not a real country

Some background: Youpi magazine is owned by the influential media group Bayard. "Bayard is a French press group created in 1873, just after the 1870 war, by Father Emmanuel d'Alzon (1810/1880), founder of the Catholic religious congregation Augustinians of the Assumption. This congregation is still the exclusive owner of the group." "It edits educational and Catholic publications such as La Croix and Catholic Digest." "Assumptionists , profoundly anti-semitic religious order, whose newspaper La Croix ( The Cross) became a daily in 1883. In 1890 it boasted that it was ‘ the most anti-Jew journal of France’"  The author of the article is Bertrand Fichou, editor in chief of Youpi and a prolific writer of children's books.

Via I 24 News:

A French children's education magazine that provoked a firestorm of criticism on Sunday after deeming Israel a state with disputed legitimacy along with the likes of North Korea said it will remove the edition from sale. The publisher Editions Bayard Jeunesse apologized, "to all those who may have been hurt" by this publication.

The controversial fact sheet featured in the latest edition of 'Youpi' magazine read, "we call these 197 countries 'states', like France, Germany, or Algeria. There a few more, but not all other countries in the world agree that these are real states (for example Israel or North Korea)."

The magazine's calling into question of Israel's legitimacy sparked major backlash on social media, with Israel's Ambassador to France Aliza Bin Noun saying she was "shocked" at the publication which she said encouraged anti-Zionism, and in turn, anti-Semitism.

"Shocked by this lie taught to children. Such a rhetoric can only encourage anti-Zionism, inseparable from anti-Semitism," she wrote on Twitter, tagging French President Emmanuel Macron in her statement. President of France's umbrella Jewish group CRIF, Francis Kalifat, told i24NEWS that Bayer's statement reflected "political revisionism."

"Unintentional or intentional, I do not know," Kalifat said. "I prefer to think it is unintentional. The Bayard publication conveys political revisionism."

"Israel has been recognized as a sovereign state since 1948 and by the United Nations since 1949," he said, adding that such intentional revisionism would represent an attempt by the company to "de-legitimize" Israel "this time by targeting its youngest readers." 

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"Europe, be a fair friend", says Fiamma Nirenstein

Via Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (Fiamma Nirenstein):

The EU Accusations against Israel

(...) And yet, if we take a close look at the relationship between the European Union and Israel we immediately hear a tune that is off-key. For years, the relationship between Europe and Israel has been strained. Europe tends to criticize Israel for simply defending itself against the continual threats and terrorist attacks it faces on all its borders and inside its cities. Europe too often disregards not only Israel’s most evident attempts to bring about peace such as its disengagement from Gaza but also chides it for its cautiousness when considering what solutions are risky and which will truly ensure the security of its citizens.

The EU has never recognized the dangers that Hamas and Hizbullah pose, as well as many other jihadist groups, including those backed by Fatah. The EU constantly blames Israel in its Commission and Assembly decisions, resolutions, papers and “non-papers,” letters and appeals. Some of Europe’s most important figures insist that sanctions against the “territories” are necessary – a political stance that will certainly not bring about a solution to this conflict that we – the Israelis – would sincerely like to resolve. Israel has repeated many times that it is ready for direct negotiation without preconditions with the Palestinians. No answer has been received. (...)

The New Anti-Semitism in Europe

The chill wind that sometimes flows from the EU towards Israel is squall that can develop into a tsunami releasing a monstrous wave of anti-Semitism which flourishes in Europe today, much to our dismay. The great historian Robert Wistrich wrote, “The Nazi poison was by no means extinguished, having infiltrated (in its day) the Soviet Union and especially the Arab Muslim world, where hard core anti-Semitism systematically defamed Israel and the Jews and was widely and officially propagated.”

The old European culture of hatred continues to permeate books, magazines, newspapers, sermons, Internet, TV, and radio on an unprecedented scale not seen since Nazi Germany’s heyday.

Europe must become aware of the demonic images circulating in much of the Islamic world which are sufficiently radical in tone and content to constitute a warrant for genocide. Europe, in the wake of its problems caused by immigration and the economy, is also infected with political difficulties that have led to widespread discontent and populism. Furthermore, it suffers overall from an anti-Semitic bigotry that can’t be understood in terms of the Arab Israeli conflict, but instead through the myths and conspiracy theories that the Nazi model propagated. The “perfidious Jewish influence” is again a myth that brings murder in Paris, Toulouse, and elsewhere. In short, terrorism is the same enemy everywhere. There is no difference between the myths of Jews seeking to the Mosque of Al Aqsa and the idea that the West is evil incarnate.

Europe, Become Our Best Friends

Remember, Europe: Israel’s fight for its survival and the survival of the Jewish people is also your battle. In addition, Israel has a love for democracy and social justice just like you. If you want to be part of a peace process, help us to stop the Palestinians from using incitement, criminalization, and demonization; stop them from fueling terrorism and violence; and invite them to come back to the negotiation table.

Be a fair friend. Now is the right time.

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Belgium: 'Welcome in the Palestinian Territory' mobile telecommunications message

Via European Jewish Press:

A client of Proximus, the largest of Belgium's three mobile telecommunications companies, received the following message on her cellphone as she landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport: "Welcome in the Palestinian territory."

The message came days after US President Donald Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capitale of the State of Israel.

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Czech President says EU’s anti-Israel stance on Jerusalem is ‘cowardice,’

Via The Jerusalem Post:

 “The European Union, cowards, are doing all they can so a pro-Palestinian terrorist movement can have supremacy over a pro-Israeli movement,” Zeman said, according to the AFP news agency.
He spoke Saturday at an event of the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy Party.

Zeman and the Czech Republic are known for their strong support of Israel. Immediately after Trump’s speech on Wednesday, the Czech Foreign Ministry announced its recognition of west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

In September, Zeman also spoke of international cowardice regarding Israel and cited as an example the refusal by almost all the world’s nations to recognize Israel as a Jewish state or acknowledge Jerusalem as its capital.

He went even further during a speech in New York given at an event sponsored by the The Algemeiner newspaper, in which he called for all embassies in Tel Aviv to be moved to Jerusalem.

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Danish MEP: 'Europe has decided to live in total ignorance of what is the situation on the ground, that Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish State of Israel'

Via European Jewish Press:

"It seems that Europe has just decided to live in total ignorance of what is the situation on the ground, that Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish State of Israel." said Anders Vistisen, Danish Member of the European Parliament, in remarks about the EU negative reaction to US President Trump decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.

"It is a fact," said Vistisen, who is first Vice Chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), as he addressed the General Assembly of the European Jewish Parliament in the premises of the EU assembly.

He found it a "paradox" that the people who are threatening to use violence and terrorism are seen as the "victims" while the people who are offering peace and offering to everyone to come to Jerusalem for worship are considered the "aggressors."

"I don’t think you'll find such an example elsewhere in the world," he said.

"I say as I can that I believe that Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish People and of the Jewish state of Israel.  I strongly believe that the only way as Christian to go their and worship in peace is if it is secured by the State of Israel," Vistisen said.

He deplored that Israel’s existence is challenged in the European Parliament, recalling that despite his efforts "we couldn’t get a majority within the parliament for a resolution saying that Hamas is a terrorist organization."

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Europe: Israel has blocked 30 to 40 major attacks in Europe

Via The Jerusalem Post:

According to a senior diplomatic official, Netanyahu is expected to tell the European leaders that their obsessive focus on the settlements is “ridiculous.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to tell the 28 EU foreign ministers in Brussels next month that they should ask their people whether they want all that Israel has to offer – anti-terrorism expertise and technology – or Ramallah.

Netanyahu, who over the last year has raised with every visiting EU foreign minister his desire to address all 28 ministers at one of their monthly meetings, received a formal invitation on Tuesday to do just that.

According to a senior diplomatic official, Netanyahu is expected to tell the European leaders that their obsessive focus on the settlements is “ridiculous;” remind them that the Arab-Israeli conflict predated the settlements by 50 years; and say that 85% of the settlements are in the settlement blocs that “everyone knows will be part of Israel.”

In addition, the official said, Netanyahu will say, “We in Israel are the future. We will bring you water, technology and security against terrorists. We have blocked 30 to 40 major attacks in Europe. You ask your people whether they would rather have that or Ramallah.”  (...)

Although these are messages that Netanyahu has repeated numerous times, the official said the statements will have a greater impact when said directly at the heart of the EU in Brussels. (...)

One Israeli diplomatic official said he was “surprised” that the Europeans agreed to host Netanyahu at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

“He has raised it with every European foreign minister he has met over the last year,” the official said. “They were stand-offish, saying they weren’t sure they could do it. The fact that it is happening is significant.”

The official said Netanyahu is keen on meeting the ministers in order to break the automatic majority against Israel at the UN and in international forums, such as the EU, which often votes as a bloc.

Netanyahu, the official said, has made breaking the automatic majority at the UN one of his top foreign policy priorities, not because the anti-Israel resolutions at the UN cause him to “lose any sleep,” but because he sees these resolutions as a “strategic threat” since they could be used as a basis of action against Israel at the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu himself has said that breaking the automatic majority is one of the reasons for his focus on improving ties with Africa. 

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Germany: TV pulls the plug on Roger Waters concert due to antisemitism

Via The Jerusalem Post (Benjamin Weinthal):

The German public television outlet WDR canceled its slated cooperation concert with the former Pink Floyd band member Roger Waters on Saturday because of a wave of protest against the singer’s anti-Jewish views.

Malca Goldstein-Wolf launched a petition campaign to prevent WDR from using taxpayer money to fund a “Jew-hater.”

She said the chairman of the Cologne-based TV outlet Tom Buhrow is allowing the spread of antisemitism by televising Waters, who is an energetic supporter of the BDS campaign, which targets Israel and has used antisemitic imagery at his concerts.

Buhrow responded in a Facebook post to Goldstein-Wolf on Saturday, writing “I sense that not many words and arguments will convince you, rather only clear action. The cooperation with the concert was ended.”

Goldstein-Wolf’s online petition titled “No support for the antisemite Roger Walters with public funds of the WDR” garnered nearly 1,400 signatures.

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Germany: “Antisemitism has been a massive problem in public schools for over 10 years"

Via The Jerusalem Post (Benjamin Weinthal): 

Germany’s largest regional Jewish community, in Berlin, condemned the Education and Science Workers’ Union (GEW) for disproportionately targeting Jewish schools for strike activity and failing to rope in antisemitism in Berlin’s school system. 

“In the last four years, the GEW has called six times for strikes at Jewish schools of the Jewish community.

No other private school has received so much attention from the labor union,” Ilan Kiesling, the spokesman for the over 10,000-members of the Berlin Jewish community, told The Jerusalem Post. Kiesling asked, why is the teachers union fixated on the community executive board even after a 12-year standstill raised the salaries of teachers? Likewise, Sigmount A. Königsberg, the Berlin Jewish community’s commissioner on antisemitism, told the Post, “Antisemitism has been a massive problem in public schools for over 10 years... Dozens of Jewish students have left public schools because of antisemitic harassment and were taken in by schools of the Jewish community in Berlin. Over all of the years, the Jewish community has not heard the sound of protests from the GEW [regarding antisemitism in the schools].” 

Königsberg said he would look forward to the teachers’ union bringing the same protest activity toward the outbreaks of Jew-hatred in public schools in Berlin. 

The labor dispute has sharpened into a civil society debate over whether the left-leaning GEW, with a Nazi past, has ignored Muslim and other forms of antisemitism in the school system, including one of its member unions supporting a full boycott of the Jewish state. (...)

A Post email query to the federal president of Germany’s teachers’ union, Marlis Tepe, was not returned.

Königsberg said the time is ripe for "the GEW to clearly distance itself from its first federal chairman Max Traeger because of his involvement in the National Socialist Teachers League, especially in connection with the confiscation of [Jewish property] still in use by the GEW in Hamburg."  

Kiesling asked, "Which support do teachers receive from the GEW who can't--or without fear-- teach topics at their schools like the Shoah and the Middle East?" He noted a study that showed that 40% of students over the age of 14 do not understand the meaning of Auschwitz. Kiesling asked, "where is the outrage from the teachers union?"

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Europe: The EU violates international law, steals Palestinian land, and then demands compensation from Israel

Via Mosaic Magazine:

Last month, the eight European countries that make up the West Bank Protection Consortium sent a formal letter demanding €30,000 in compensation for two classrooms with solar panels that Israel dismantled in August. The letter, as Ruthie Blum explains, ignores the fact that the structures, located in part of the West Bank called Area C, were built in violation of international law:

[The 1995 agreement known as] Oslo II, which created the Palestinian Authority (PA), divides the West Bank into three geographical sections—Areas A, B, and C—and specifies which government controls each. Area C is under the military and civil jurisdiction of Israel alone. . . . Yet, for years, there has been non-stop building in Area C, . . . in a transparent effort to populate Area C with Palestinians. . . . 

[The] Middle East analyst Bassam Tawil [has] noted massive “behind-the-scenes” Palestinian construction, the goal of which is “to create irreversible facts on the ground” and completely encircle Jerusalem. He points out that while Israel is condemned for any and every attempt to build housing in the West Bank and Jerusalem [which it never does in Area A, assigned by Oslo to the sole jurisdiction of the Ramallah], the Palestinian Authority has been undertaking, with impunity, a “colossal” construction project that is “illegal in every respect.” . . . 

On a recent tour of the area, [another] Arab affairs expert, Khaled Abu Toameh, explained that this ongoing construction, funded mainly by the EU and Qatar, is made possible through the “confiscation” of privately owned tracts of Palestinian land by unlicensed contractors whose interest is solely financial. . . All they want, he said, is to line their pockets at the expense of helpless landowners, who are told that they must sacrifice their property to help the Palestinian Authority populate the area for political gain against Israel. . . . 

It takes particular gall for European Union representatives to express “humanitarian” outrage at Israel for razing illegal structures in the West Bank—while the EU is in league with Palestinian criminals who have been brazenly stealing Arab-owned land.

 Read more at Gatestone