AJC Dispatch

Spotlight

On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, we commemorate the 75th death anniversary of Anne Frank by asking young people whether they recognize her name. Then, Eliseo Neuman, Director of AJC’s Africa Institute, explains the latest developments between Israel and Sudan. Listen now

Must-reads

UN Council Publishes Database of Business in Settlements
The Times of Israel / 2-minute read
With no advance warning, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Wednesday released a roster of 112 companies, most of them Israeli, that do business in West Bank settlements. Though the report did not call for sanctions against the companies, which included Airbnb, Motorola, and General Mills, it was reminiscent of Nazi-triggered boycotts and blacklists against Jews. Since its formation in 2006, the UN Human Rights Council has repeatedly singled out and censured Israel, while ignoring significant human rights violations in other parts of the world. AJC blasted the blacklist in a statement: “The world body’s endless hypocrisy and double standards toward Israel are staggering,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “Of all the situations in the world in which territory is disputed, the UN chooses only to focus on Israel. Why? We call on Secretary General Guterres to denounce this outrageous assault on the Jewish state.” Read more

Foreseeing Failure, Abbas Pulls Request for UN Vote Against Trump Plan
The Washington Post / 2-minute read
At the UN Security Council this week, Palestinians withdrew their request for a vote on a resolution that they hoped would pour cold water on the Trump administration’s proposed peace plan. Intended to be a referendum against the plan, the resolution was pulled because it was unlikely to secure the nine out of 15 votes needed to pass. Waving the peace plan’s proposed map, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a guest of the council, told those assembled that the plan would make “Swiss cheese” of the land Palestinians claim for a state. AJC tweeted: “Israeli-Palestinian peace won't be achieved at the UN. It can only be reached at the negotiating table. It's time to resume direct talks.” Read more

We Once Fought Jihadists, Now We Fight White Supremacists
The New York Times / 2-minute read
Designating white supremacist groups as foreign terrorist organizations would offer law enforcement the same tools and resources they currently use when dealing with international terrorists who commit violence in the name of Islam. Rep. Max Rose (D-NY), a U.S. Army veteran and Ali H. Soufan, a former F.B.I. special agent, write in The New York Times that treating foreign and domestic terrorists the same would enable authorities to monitor communications between people tied to these hate groups, share intelligence with U.S. allies overseas, and hold parties accountable for providing material support to these hate groups. AJC tweeted: “Jihadists and white supremacists both seek to undermine our diverse nation. Neither can be ignored in the fight against hate in America.” Read more

German state investigates police response to Halle synagogue attack
JTA / 2-minute read
The armed far-right extremist who tried to enter the Humboldt Street synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle on Yom Kippur livestreamed his attempts to break down the locked door of the synagogue with 50 worshippers inside. Meanwhile, the synagogue camera also captured what happened, raising questions about the police response. Surveillance video reveals that eight minutes passed before the first police car arrived on the scene. But even then, no medical personnel arrived, and police appeared not to be armed or wearing protective gear. Footage also shows no one noticing when the assailant drove past the synagogue a second time. Here are three things to know about antisemitism in Germany, illustrated by the Halle synagogue attack. Read more

Good to Know

Shabbat in Alexandria’s Restored Synagogue
The Times of Israel / 2-minute read
On this Shabbat more than 200 Jews from Egypt, now living in Europe, Israel and the United States, prayed in the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, their childhood house of worship, in Alexandria. It is the latest example of Egypt’s efforts to preserve its Jewish legacy. Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs, writes in The Times of Israel that while most of Egypt’s remaining synagogues stand vacant, AJC has held numerous meetings with government officials who want to commemorate the country’s Jewish heritage. They have agreed to repair and restore a growing number of Jewish sites, including Maimonides’ original Yeshiva in old Cairo and what remains of Cairo’s vast Jewish cemetery at Bassatine. Read more

Met Investigates Jewish Ownership of Painting
The New York Times / 3-minute read
The Metropolitan Museum of Art appears to have a conundrum hanging in Gallery 634 – a 17th Century work of art that once belonged to a Jewish art dealer who fled the Nazis. Court records indicate the painting, purchased by the Met in 1984, is likely the same one the dealer unsuccessfully fought to reclaim for more than a decade after the end of World War II. In response to questions from The New York Times, the Met has begun an investigation of the painting’s provenance to determine what, if anything, will resolve the situation. Read more

What To Do When Harassed for Being Jewish
The Forward / 2-minute read
Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Life/Features Editor at The Forward, wrote a column last September about the spate of attacks against Orthodox Jews in New York. Then last week, her husband and son became victims of harassment on the streets of the Upper East Side. She advises Jews who find themselves in the same situation to report the incident to local police, inform community organizations that document attacks, and tell the world on social media. “That is, don’t let that incident live in some bureaucratic spreadsheet alone: Post about it. Share your story. Let it be known that hate is alive on American streets.” Listen to Chizhik-Goldschmidt on People of the Pod when she joined us last September to discuss the spate of attacks against Orthodox Jews in New York. Read more

Tidings

Forever Friends (The Times of Israel)
Laser Wolf Feeds Philly Diners (The Forward)
Yiddish Harry Potter Sells Out in 48 Hours (The Forward)

The articles featured here do not necessarily reflect AJC’s positions.

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