AJC Dispatch
Check out this week’s episode of People of the Pod
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Spotlight
AJC has joined forces with The Times of Israel to launch a brand-new weekly podcast – People of the Pod [link removed]! This exciting new partnership brings you in-depth analysis on the most pressing issues facing America, Israel, the Jewish people, and the world.
This week’s episode [link removed] features a conversation between AJC CEO David Harris and Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz, who discuss the significance of this new partnership and share their views on some of the most consequential challenges facing our people. Listen now [link removed]
Must-reads
Is World War II History Still Relevant? [link removed]
Rzeczpospolita / 4-minute read
It’s a column that should be at the top of each world leader’s reading list: On the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland, and at the invitation of one of Poland’s leading newspapers, AJC CEO David Harris penned an incisive essay on the five enduring lessons of this defining period in modern history. “The way some world leaders speak today about, say, Iran or Russia makes me wonder if this defining 20th-century lesson has been internalized,” writes Harris. Read more [link removed]
Hezbollah Setting Up Precision Missile Site [link removed]
The Jerusalem Post / 2-minute read
The Lebanon-based anti-Israel terror group Hezbollah already has 130,000 missiles ready to strike Israel. But a secret facility exposed this week by Israel revealed an even more threatening development. With Iran’s help, Hezbollah is building precision missiles capable of hitting within 10 meters from its target – a considerable improvement from its ordinary missiles and one that has Israelis increasingly concerned. After an Israeli drone operation struck a precision missile facility in Lebanon, Hezbollah responded by launching rockets into northern Israel. When the UN Security Council aimed to pass a resolution on the recent tensions, the U.S. nixed the move because the resolution failed to specifically condemn Hezbollah. Read more [link removed]
Four Antisemitic Hate Crimes Committed in New York City This Week [link removed]
Haaretz / 2-minute read
This is not a typo: antisemitic incidents are up 101% this year in New York City. The Big Apple, once thought to be a posterchild for Jewish inclusiveness, is struggling with how to stop violent antisemitic attacks, like the ones depicted in this widely-shared AJC video [link removed]. Much of the hatred has been directed at Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the attacks and, earlier this week, named a director to the city’s newly-established Office of Hate Crimes Prevention. Concurrently, AJC announced plans to mark the one year anniversary of the tragic antisemitic Pittsburgh attack by launching #ShowUpForShabbat 2019 [link removed] to once again call on all people of good conscience to come together to honor the victims and raise our collective voice for a world free of antisemitism, hate, and bigotry. Read more [link removed]
Netanyahu Planned to Strike Iran in 2012 Despite Obama’s Objections [link removed]
The New York Times Magazine / 20-minute read
This uncloaked, candid, and lengthy look at the behind-the-scenes maneuverings of the U.S., Israel, and Iran from the past decade is written by noted Israeli political insider and past AJC Global Forum speaker Ronen Bergman, and veteran American reporter Mark Mazzetti. The fascinating report details key, and often tense, exchanges between U.S. and Israeli leaders, including former Vice President and current candidate for President Joe Biden. Bergman and Mazzetti reveal just how close Israel came to launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear weapons program – and the lengths the Obama Administration went to stop the attack and reach a deal with Tehran. Read more [link removed]
Good to Know
Netanyahu Dashes to London Amid Political Upheaval [link removed]
JNS / 2-minute read
Amid a raucous political atmosphere in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Besides President Trump, Netanyahu is the first national leader to meet with Johnson since he took over following Theresa May’s tenure. Though the meeting was short, the two leaders discussed Iran’s increasingly threatening behavior, the future of the nuclear deal, and Israel-UK ties. Netanyahu lauded the current state of the relationship, proclaiming them to be the best yet, and had words of praise for Johnson, “I applaud your staunch stance against antisemitism and your support for Israel’s security.” Read more [link removed]
Israel Dispatches Firefighters to Help Brazil Fight Amazon Blaze [link removed]
Israel Hayom / 2-minute read
Following a discussion between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, an 11-member Israeli firefighting team traveled to Brazil to assist local efforts to combat the fires that have engulfed large parts of the Amazon Rain Forest. The quick cooperation is yet another indication of strengthening ties between the Jewish state and Latin America’s top economy. Read more [link removed]
Serbia to Block Construction on Former Concentration Camps [link removed]
JTA / 2-minute read
The Serbian government averted a disaster this week when it pledged to pass legislation halting a developer from building a shopping mall on the site of a former Nazi concentration camp in Belgrade. Government officials declared that instead a memorial center would be built to honor and remember the tens of thousands of Jews, Serbs, and Roma killed there by Nazis in World War II. Read more [link removed]
Tidings
‘Hitler’ Restaurant in Iraqi Kurdistan Forced to Change Name [link removed] (Times of Israel)
From Michelle Obama Speechwriter to Religious Voyager [link removed] (The Washington Post)
Wife of Prince of Darkness Opens Up About Impact of Antisemitism [link removed] (The Forward)
The articles featured here do not necessarily reflect AJC’s positions.
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