AJC Dispatch

Spotlight

On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, Joseph Cedar, creator and executive producer of "Our Boys,” explains in front of a live audience how his HBO series bridges Palestinian and Israeli narratives. He also addresses the critical reception the show has received from some prominent Israelis. Then Adam Rasgon, Palestinian Affairs and Arab World correspondent for the Times of Israel, explains how the Joint List, Israel’s majority Arab party, came to be, what its success in last week’s election means for Israeli politics, and their historic decision to endorse Blue and White Leader Benny Gantz for prime minister over Benjamin Netanyahu. Listen now

Must-reads

At United Nations, Trump Calls On Mideast Nations to Normalize Ties With Israel
The Jerusalem Post / 2-minute read
In his third address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Arab nations to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. Trump also accused Iran of stoking dangerous extremism and “monstrous antisemitism,” and pointed out that the Islamic Republic’s hostility has galvanized new alliances in the region. Read more

White House to drastically cut number of refugees U.S. accepts to 18,000 next year
Los Angeles Times / 2-minute read
For the third year in a row, the Trump administration has capped the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. at 18,000, a 40 percent drop from the 2019 cap and the lowest level since the program began four decades ago. The announcement was accompanied by an executive order that would permit counties and states to reject refugees for resettlement. Calling on the administration to reverse the decision before it’s too late, AJC tweeted: “We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – in the 1930s refugees were excluded, and Jews died. Who will die in 2020 if we slash admission of refugees?” Read more

Netanyahu Gets Second Chance to Form Government
Washington Post / 2-minute read
Take Two: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again has 28 days to form a governing coalition in Israel. But the journey could be bumpy, as he has pledged to include ultra-Orthodox Jewish factions that could turn off potential secular partners. He also faces a legal hearing Wednesday in three corruption cases that could lead to his indictment. Read more

Abbas Pledges Palestinian Elections
Haaretz / 2-minute read
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that he would set a date for parliamentary elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza as soon as he returns home. The pledge sounded eerily similar to promises Abbas has made in the past, even though there have been no Palestinian elections since 2006. In that election, the Hamas terrorist group claimed victory and wrested control of Gaza the following year. Abbas also said he would nix all agreements with Israel if Netanyahu fulfills his campaign promise to annex parts of the West Bank. Read more

Good to Know

Arab, Jewish Astronauts Head for International Space Station
Times of Israel / 2-minute read
An American Jew, a Russian, and the first astronaut from the United Arab Emirates blasted off Wednesday on a historic multinational mission to the International Space Station. NASA astronaut and Swedish American Jew Jessica Meir (whose father is Israeli), Russian Oleg Skripochka, and Emirati Hazzaa Ali Almansoori docked at the station after a short six-hour flight. Read more

Trump-Ukraine Controversy Through a Jewish Lens
Times of Israel / 2-minute read
It took nearly a month for President Trump to release millions of dollars in defense assistance to Ukraine intended to help guard the former Soviet republic against Russian aggression. Ukraine’s newly elected Jewish president Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly has blamed the delay on the lack of an investigation requested by Trump involving Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden. Zelensky has his own challenges as the first Jewish president in a country with a deeply ingrained history of antisemitism. Shortly after Zelensky’s election, AJC reported on its implications in a country with a long record of Jewish persecution. Read more

UK Labour Party Group Raffles Cartoons Dubbed Antisemitic
Independent / 2-minute read
An event on the sidelines of the Labour Party’s annual conference this week included a raffle for two signed cartoons that had been rejected by The Guardian over concerns they could be viewed as antisemitic. The shadow conference, organized by the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) activism group, also featured former Labour Party members who have been ousted for antisemitic behavior. Read more

Tidings

Book Review: Israel’s First Prime Minister Was Complicated (The New York Times)
Israel’s Baseball Team Heads for Olympics (JTA)
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Sweeps the Emmys (JTA)

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

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