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Halle attacker sentenced to life in prison

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder: “The speed, follow-through and decisiveness of this trial is a definitive example of how the judicial system must respond to such horrific violence, making crystal-clear there is no place for such hateful, harmful rhetoric or behavior in society.” Read More... 

WJC and WCC present paper inviting religious leaders to engage on ethical issues related to COVID-19 vaccine distribution 

The paper discusses moral questions for religious leaders and organizations to raise in policy discussions around vaccine distribution and argues that as decisions are “fundamentally ethical in nature, religious leaders and organizations have a critical role and responsibility to be engaged in relevant policy discussions.” Read More... 

Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron to be made a life peer | Jewish Chronicle 

Merron, who was nominated by Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer, will join the House of Lords next year. Reacting to the announcement, Merron said, “I am deeply honoured to have been appointed...I am very much looking forward to taking my place in the House of Lords." Read More... 

In the spotlight: Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron

In an interview in 2016, Merron, the top professional of WJC’s UK affiliate, reflected on the state of Britain's Jewish community and provided an in-depth overview of the challenges facing British Jews in the 21st century. She also struck an optimistic tone, outlining accomplishments that the community had made in the fight against antisemitism. Watch Now... 

WebTalk | Israel in 2020: Economy, innovation & the impact of COVID-19

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to force Israelis to close their businesses and stay at home, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Professor Eugene Kandel discussed the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Israel's economy and what to anticipate in 2021. Watch Now... 

UK Labour launches plan to combat antisemitism

In a statement Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl responded to the report saying, “Labour’s Action Plan provides a suitable basis to move to the next stage although there are certain things that require further detail, including around the independent disciplinary process and cases that are currently in progress under a broken system...” Read More... 

Prosecutor opens investigation over antisemitic tweets targeting Miss France runner-up | Politico 

Miss France runner-up April Benayoum was the target of antisemitic tweets after she mentioned her “Israeli-Italian” father during her remarks at the Miss France 2021 beauty pageant. The case was referred to the prosecutor’s office by Minister Delegate for Citizenship Marlène Schiappa. Read More... 

Israel calls 4th election in 2 years | Times of Israel 

Israel’s Knesset has called for the country’s fourth election in just the past two years. Currently scheduled for March 23, experts again predict a close race.  Read More... 

Israel set to enter national lockdown on Sunday for 2 weeks as infections surge | Times of Israel 

The regulations will bar Israelis from entering non-immediate family members’ homes, restrict movement to 1 kilometer from home in most cases, and limit public transportation to 50 percent capacity. Read More... 

Israel ranks first in COVID-19 vaccine doses administered per capita | Jpost 

With doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines already available and with more AstraZeneca vaccines expected to arrive, Israel may be heading towards a coronavirus-free population sooner than expected. Read More... 

Mother-of-6 killed in apparent terror attack remembered for her ‘joy for life’ | The Times of Israel

The alleged terror attack by a Palestinian assailant occurred in the northern West Bank on Sunday afternoon as the victim, Esther Horgen, went for a run. Horgen’s funeral was held on Tuesday morning. Read More... 

Morocco and Israel to open diplomatic missions within two weeks | JPost

News of the opening of the missions was announced by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita while the country was hosting a joint Israeli-American delegation. The two countries agreed to normalize relations less than a month ago. Read More... 

Pandemic forces Holocaust survivor interviews onto Zoom | The Washington Post 

Talking via Zoom, Holocaust survivor Mano Orel, 95, recounted his story of survival. He wept to the audience as he spoke of how his mother, Liza, and younger brother, Rafael, had been lured to an Athens synagogue with promises of food, and shipped off to the Auschwitz death camp.  Read More... 

Jewish community vows to appeal acquittal of AMIA bombing suspect | JTA

The bombing, which occurred in 1994, killed 85 people, and wounded hundreds more, in what is recognized as the deadliest terrorist attack in Latin American history as well as against any Jewish target outside of Israel. The Jewish community expressed outrage at the defendant’s claim that he was unaware that the truck he sold would be used as a bomb in the attack on the AMIA building. Read More... 

EU Parliament seeks targeted sanctions on Iran for human right abuses | JPost 

The resolution, which was overwhelmingly approved by a vote of 614 to 12, condemned the Iranian regime’s violation of human rights, including the regime's executions of Iranian journalist Ruhollah Zam and Iranian wrestler Navid Afkar, and called for sanctions against the regime. Read More... 

Satellite images show building at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility | AP

The construction site sits northwest of Fordo’s underground facility, built deep inside a mountain to protect it from potential airstrikes and detection. The location is close to other above-ground support and research-and-development buildings. Read More... 

Congressional spending package doubles security funding for nonprofits | JTA

The grants, which launched in 2005, have dramatically increased in recent years in part because of a spate of deadly attacks on Jewish targets since 2018. For years, Jewish groups received more than 90% of the money, but that has substantially dropped in recent years as other communities have come under attack. Read More... 

Vatican News launches new page in Hebrew

Launching the webpage, Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa described Hebrew as “a language which is symbolically important for us Christians.” With the launch, Hebrew becomes the 36th language covered by the Holy See’s multimedia information portal, which launched three years ago. Read More... 

22 December 1894 | Alfred Dreyfus sentenced to life in prison for selling military secrets

The antisemitic coverage of the trial and Dreyfus' conviction was a turning point for future Zionist leader Theodor Herzl, who realized that assimilation would not end antisemitism, as Dreyfus was a high-ranking assimilated French official. Read More... 

20 December 1963 | Trial of Auschwitz SS personnel begins in Frankfurt

Perhaps the most notorious individual tried during the Frankfurt Trials was Karl Höcker, the adjutant to Auschwitz Commandment Richard Baer. While Höcker’s leadership role was undisputed, the prosecution accused him of serving on "the ramp”, meaning he participated in the process of selecting which new arrivals would be sent to death. Read More...