SAN DIEGO (SDJW) — Here is a roundup of international Jewish news compiled from news releases sent on Friday, August 15, to the office of San Diego Jewish World.
After Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state,” Amb. Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, released the following statement from his office in New York:
“The inciteful calls from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to ‘bury the idea of a Palestinian state’ are wholly unbecoming of a representative of the state of Israel.
“Smotrich and his partner National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have repeatedly made statements that massively damage Israel as well as the security of the Jewish people. It has to stop.
“These men do not represent the sentiments of the vast majority of Jews worldwide, who rightfully view these two as extremists not fit to serve in public office.
“I call upon the prime minister to clarify that these views are not shared by him or his administration.”
*
Democratic Majority for Israel President and CEO Brian Romick released the following statement:
“DMFI supports measures that bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to living in peace and security — and opposes steps that move us further from that outcome. Just as we have spoken out against the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state as Hamas holds 50 hostages, we also oppose Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s proposal to construct 3,000 housing units in the E1 settlement. Both moves will inflame tensions and make peace harder to achieve. Instead, our focus must remain on pressuring Hamas to end this war.”
*
In response to the release of the United Nations’ (UN) annual Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, Carol Ann Schwartz, National President of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, released the following statement:
“For the second year in a row, the United Nations (UN) report shows record levels of conflict-related sexual violence. This represents a profound global moral failure and demands that the UN and governments around the world put a stop to the unacceptable weaponization of rape. We must stand up to support survivors and demand justice.”
“We are glad to see that the UN has finally listed Hamas as a party credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for sexual violence. Nearly 700 days since October 7, 2023, this action to hold Hamas accountable for systematically weaponizing sexual violence is long overdue. Especially following the significant evidence collected by reputable bodies around the world – including the UN itself – that clearly documents Hamas’ extensive weaponization of rape and other forms of sexual assault against Israeli men, women and girls, and against the hostages it kidnapped and continues to hold in captivity.”
“This is just the first step. The UN must vigorously pursue justice and advance measures to hold Hamas accountable for crimes against humanity. Failure to act will only further embolden violent extremists across the world to perpetrate these heinous acts.”
“Hadassah has been a leading voice on this issue. Through our End the Silence campaign, we mobilized over 150,000 people and hundreds of organizations from nearly 120 countries to demand that the UN denounce Hamas’ use of rape as a weapon of war and pursue accountability.”
“We continue to demand justice for Hamas’ victims and call for the immediate release of the remaining hostages. We also continue to work to end conflict-related sexual violence around the world and encourage all nations to adopt an international protocol to help ensure that when such violence occurs, evidence is collected in a way that expedites justice and accountability and treats survivors with dignity.”
*
StandWithUs released the following statement in support of Jewish students and faculty at UCLA:
At this critical moment, our community’s focus should not be on the size of a penalty, media headlines, or politics. UCLA must ensure that Jewish students and faculty can learn, teach, and participate in campus life without harassment or discrimination.
We understand Jewish students are concerned about increased hostility towards them and indifference to antisemitism on campus. Both state and national leaders, along with UCLA, should act to prevent this from happening.
The focus must be on listening to those who have been harmed, taking their concerns seriously, and following through with meaningful solutions.
We encourage UCLA to adopt the Jewish Faculty Resilience Group (JFRG) recommendations, which call for independent oversight, clear and consistent enforcement of policies, fast and fair accountability processes, adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and mandatory antisemitism training for all UC campuses.
Protecting Jewish students and faculty is non-negotiable. Both must be at the heart of any plan to address campus antisemitism.
StandWithUs welcomes constructive ideas from any source, whether from government, university leadership, or the broader community. We will continue working with all partners who share the goal of building a safe, respectful, and inclusive campus for everyone.
*
Preceding compiled from news releases