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World Jewish Congress condemns fatal attack on church in France

Following the second egrecious terror attack in France in recent weeks, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder lamented: “This attack, targeting a place of worship, goes against all the values of liberté, égalité et fraternité that the French Republic represents." Read More... 

WJC applauds British Labour Party suspension of Jeremy Corbyn

In response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's publication of a report finding that the British Labour Party engaged in antisemitism under Corbyn's leadership, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said: “Today’s findings, as well as the party’s decision to suspend Mr. Corbyn from its ranks, are a much needed and welcome step in ridding the British political system of his brand of hatred and contempt.” Read More... 

World Jewish Congress to honor UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Maestro Zubin Mehta at Theodor Herzl Award Virtual Gala

At this year's event, being held virtually on Monday, November 9, the WJC will pay tribute to the Secretary-General of the United Nations H.E. Mr. António Guterres with its prestigious Theodor Herzl Award. Also being honored is Maestro Zubin Mehta, Music Director Emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, who will accept WJC's Teddy Kollek Award for the Advancement of Jewish Culture. Read More... 

Ronald Lauder welcomes agreement between Israel and Sudan

"The forthcoming establishment of bilateral Sudanese-Israeli ties, following on the heels of Israel’s agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, is emblematic of shifting societal attitudes towards Israel and towards Jews in the region," declared Lauder following the announcement that Israel and Sudan would fully normalize relations. Read More... 

Dr. Moshe Kantor reelected European Jewish Congress President; Marie van der Zyl reelected Chair of the Council  | JPost

"These have been challenging times for European Jews," declared Dr. Kantor, who has headed the EJC since 2007. Read More... 

Alexander Oscar reelected as President of Organization of Jews in Bulgaria-Shalom | The Sofia Globe

Addressing the election conference, Oscar reiterated the importance of unity, saying, “I believe that together we can overcome any challenge, uniting our efforts for the good of the Bulgarian Jewish community and society as a whole!” Read More... 

WebTalk | The legacy of Yitzhak Rabin: A conversation with his son

Ahead of the anniversary of his father's assassination,Yuval Rabin speaks with WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps member Ariel Rodal-Spieler about the life and legacy of Yitzhak Rabin. Watch Now... 

WebTalk | A changing region: Building bridges in a new Middle East

During the conversation, Amb. Marc Sievers, former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, provided his take on the current state of affairs across the Middle East and North Africa in the wake of the Signing of the Abraham Accords. Read More... 

President of the Central Council of Jews: "Every fifth German harbors anti-Jewish prejudices" 

Central Council of Jews in Germany President Josef Schuster, who also serves as a WJC vice president, sat down for an exclusive interview with Politik to discuss the rise of antisemitism in the country and the spread of conspiracy myths surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Read Now... 

Malmö suspends Arab Book Fair amid revelation of antisemitic texts

Following the uproar, the Arab Book Fair removed the item from its website, and released a statement declaring that the book “violates our principles of rejecting antisemitism and respecting all religions and beliefs. It was a mistake that should not have happened.” Read Now... 

First conviction in South Africa for antisemitic abuse | Times of Israel

The Randburg Magistrates Court convicted Matome Letsoalo for of crimen injuria – a crime defined as “unlawfully and intentionally impairing the dignity or privacy of another person” – for a string of vile and abusive posts targeting the South Africa Board of Deputies (SAJBD). Read Now... 

Coronavirus cabinet approves plan for opening schools | JPost

According to the new plan, children in grades one through four will each learn four days per week in capsules of no more than 20 students. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of the cabinet meeting that the outline could be re-evaluated over the next two weeks. Read More... 

Tension rising between journalists and haredi Orthodox communities in Israel | JTA

Several Israeli journalists, including Jerusalem Post photographer Marc Israel Sellem and Channel 12 correspondent Carmel Libman, have found themselves attacked by angry residents as they attempted to report the reopening of haredi Orthodox schools in violation of government social distancing restrictions. Read More... 

Diaspora Affairs Ministry proposes bill requiring consultation with Diaspora | The Times of Israel

Diaspora Affairs Minister Omer Yankelevich said the bill is intended to strengthen ties between diaspora Jewry and the Israeli government and to reinforce the ethos that Israel is the homeland of Jews worldwide. Read More... 

Greece, Israel establish economic conference | JPost

The conference, which will promote investments in Israel and Greece and economic ventures benefiting the Middle East will be attended by Israel, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Cyprus. The location of the conference will rotate between Jerusalem and Athens. Read More... 

Plan to name former right-wing politician to head Yad Vashem enrages Holocaust Survivors 

The nominee, former lawmaker and leader of the now-defunct National Religious Party Effi Eitam, has called for the expulsion of West Bank Palestinians, the ouster of Israeli Arabs from the Knesset and described Arab Israelis as a “cancer” for society. Read More... 

Czech Republic Parliament fully classifies Hezbollah as terrorist organization | JPost

The Czech Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the parliament in Prague, voted 63-7 to adopt the motion calling the Lebanese Shi’ite group “an indivisible whole and a terrorist organization that significantly destabilizes the Middle East region and, through its global network, also threatens all democracies.” Read More... 

UN rapporteur slams Iran for human right abuses | JPost

In his address to the UN’s General Assembly, Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran Javaid Rehman presented a report outlining the Iranian regime’s human rights abuses and called the execution of wrestling champion Navid Afkari a “grievous violation of the right to life.” Read More... 

Top Saudi politician: Palestinians need to 'think outside the box' on peace with Israel | JPost

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef Al-Othaimeen told Sky News that "The [Palestinian] cause has been going on for 70 years. We have tried wars, we have tried to throw Israel into the sea and we have tried many other things...We should try what has not been tried yet in order to bring about a two-state solution.” Read More... 

The Jews of Sudan 

While Sudan’s small Jewish community lived peacefully with their Muslim neighbors for decades, heightened antisemitism in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis and Six Day War forced almost all the country’s Jewish population to flee their homes. Watch Now... 

Australian Jews and Catholics talk faith in virtual conversation | The Australian Jewish News

Participants of the WJC-affiliated Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference organized event, discussed the transmission of faith, and universal messages from religious texts, among other topics. Read More... 

25 October 1895 | Future Prime Minister Levi Eshkol born  

Eshkol’s tenure as Prime Minister is perhaps best remembered for the Six-Day War, when Israel miraculously defeated the armies of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. In the tension-filled days leading up the war, Eshkol appointed retired General Moshe Dayan as Minister of Defense and formed Israel’s first national unity government. Read More... 

29 October 1957 | Israeli Prime Minister Ben-Gurion survives assassination attempt 

Moshe Dwek, a disgruntled 16-year old Yemenite Jewish immigrant, threw a grenade towards Prime Minister Ben-Gurion from the balcony of Frumin House, moderately wounding Ben-Gurion, Foreign Minister Golda Meir and Transport Minister Moshe Carmel, and seriously wounding Minister of Religious Affairs Moshe Shapira. Read More... 

26 October 1994 | Israel and Jordan sign peace treaty

Following the signing of the treaty, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin noted, “for nearly two generations, desolation pervaded the heart of our two peoples. The time has now come not merely to dream of a better future - but to realize it.” Read More...