AJC Dispatch

Spotlight

Israel has imposed a blanket 14-day self-quarantine on everyone arriving from outside the country in order to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. This week on People of the Pod, Dr. Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert and lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem joins us to discuss the quarantine and the other efforts to protect the country. Listen now

Must-reads

Israel, EU Leaders Collaborate in Fight against Coronavirus
The Times of Israel / 3-minute read
In a conference call on Monday, the leaders of Israel and seven European countries—Austria, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus—discussed joint efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for collective efforts to test people for the disease. He also proposed to European counterparts the creation of “safe air hubs” at selected airports to mitigate the disruption of critical supply chains. Finally, the leaders discussed the appointment of national “points of contact” to ensure that all participating governments have the means to share the latest information on COVID-19. AJC welcomed the initiative, tweeting: “We are heartened to see Israel and European nations working so closely together to combat the coronavirus. In this global crisis, friends and allies are more important than ever.” Read more

Columbia University President Opposes BDS, Condemns Antisemitism
Jewish Journal / 3-minute read
The president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, has sharply condemned all forms of antisemitism ahead of a controversial undergraduate student referendum in favor of the discriminatory BDS movement. Bollinger expressed his opposition to divest from companies doing business in Israel and warned that singling out the country for boycott would lead to “hostility and even hatred toward all members of groups of people simply by virtue of a religious, racial, national or ethnic relationship.” AJC praised Bollinger for his staunch commitment to upholding a climate of tolerance on campus, tweeting: “Thank you, @Columbia President Bollinger, for your unambiguous condemnation of antisemitism and your principled opposition to the bigoted BDS Movement. Antisemitism must be rejected in all its forms—including anti-Zionism.” Read more

Iranian Regime Accuses U.S., Israel of Coronavirus Conspiracy
The Jerusalem Post / 2-minute read
The Iranian regime has resorted to antisemitic conspiracy theories to distract from its gross mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak. Iran’s state-run propaganda outlet, Press TV, pushed reports claiming that “Zionists”—often used as code for Jews—were behind the global pandemic. The broadcaster also claimed that “Zionist elements developed a deadlier strain of coronavirus” against the Islamic Republic. Further deflecting blame, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused the U.S. of “medical terrorism,” claiming that nuclear-related sanctions had robbed the country of the resources needed to fight the disease, a charge flatly rejected by American officials. Iran has so far reported more than 10,000 cases and 429 deaths, but observers believe the true number to be far higher. AJC CEO David Harris said: “We haven’t seen any serious uptick in antisemitism, nor should we. This is a global crisis that only in the minds of fanatic antisemitic conspiracy theorists could be somehow linked to Jews.” Read more

Receiving Election Results, Rivlin Urges Parties to Break Political Deadlock
The Jerusalem Post / 2-minute read
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin urged party leaders on Wednesday to break the political deadlock and form a national unity government, as he received official election results for the third time in 11 months. In remarks addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White head Benny Gantz at his official residence, the president reiterated his support for a coalition government with a rotating premiership. "I'm aware of the criticism that it received; however, I don't see another way,” Rivlin said of the proposal. As it stands, neither Likud nor Blue and White have a clear path to achieve a 61-seat parliament majority without the other. The deadline for Rivlin to appoint a member of the Knesset to form a government is next Tuesday, March 17. Read more

Good to Know

Israel, Arab States Find Common Ground at Anti-Terror Conference in Morocco
The Times of Israel / 4-minute read
Israel and Arab leaders from the Gulf joined forces to warn of threats emanating from Iran and its Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah at an international anti-terror conference in Morocco. While the two-day Marrakesh summit focused mainly on threats stemming from al-Qaeda, delegations from Israel and Sunni Arab countries reaffirmed their shared commitment “to collectively confront Iran’s continued support to terrorist groups.” Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East featured also in the concluding statement issued by the U.S. Department of State. AJC has been at the forefront of building bridges between Israel and the Arab Muslim world. Last month, AJC’s Jerusalem-based International Interreligious Director Rabbi David Rosen became the first rabbi to be received by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Saudi Arabia. In addition, AJC launched a new series of Arabic-language video explainers about Jews and Judaism, called An al-Yahud or About the Jews. Read more

Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism, Warns British Cabinet Minister
The Jewish Chronicle / 2-minute read
In a speech to senior politicians and media figures at a Westminster reception hosted by former Labour MP Ian Austin on Monday, British cabinet minister Michael Gove said that “anti-Zionism has mutated” into a new form of antisemitism. Praising the brave activism of Austin, who cited antisemitism as the reason for quitting the Labour Party, Gove said: “‘Zionist’ has come to be used as a term of abuse.” Gove warned that although the British people had rejected Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party in the general election in December, the crushing defeat suffered by the hard-left leadership did not mean that anti-Jewish hatred had been purged from the organization. The minister called for collective efforts to combat the vilification of Jews on both sides of the political extremes. AJC has praised the British government for its leadership in confronting antisemitism and its commitment to the IHRA Working Definition, which AJC helped draft as a vital tool in the global effort to combat Jew-hatred. Read more

Lebanese Man Pleads Guilty to Buying Drone Parts in U.S. for Hezbollah
The Times of Israel / 2-minute read
A Lebanese national pleaded guilty in federal court in Minnesota on Monday on one count of conspiring to export drone parts and technology from the U.S. to the Iranian-sponsored terrorist organization Hezbollah in violation of U.S. export laws. Issam Hamade faces up to five years in prison for acquiring sophisticated drone technology from 2009 to 2013 and illegally exporting it to the Shiite group. His brother, Usama, faces similar charges. The pair was arrested in February 2018 in South Africa and were extradited to the U.S. last fall. AJC has long warned that the same group responsible for the worst antisemitic attack since World War II is expanding its terror network from Europe to the Americas. AJC has launched a global campaign to hold Hezbollah accountable. Read more

Tidings

What to watch if you're quarantined with Corona (The Forward / 4-minute read)
The Other Queen of Purim (Tablet Magazine / 6-minute read)
In Israel fashion is for everyone - even those with disabilities (Israel21c / 6-minute read)

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

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