By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego
INTERNATIONAL
On Australia’s day of mourning for the 15 killed at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said in Melbourne, “There is no great evil in the world, just people who make choices. Our answer to Bondi, is to choose to do good. When I think of the heroes of Bondi, I am inspired. I am inspired to make that choice.”
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Britain’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis welcomed Parliament’s passage and the royal assent for a bill clearing the way to construct a Holocaust Memorial Center in Victoria Tower Gardens. The chief rabbi said the Royal Assent “reflects a clear commitment to remembrance and to ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten. This memorial and learning center will stand in memory of the six million Jewish victims and as a reminder of the responsibility we all carry to confront hatred, antisemitism, and
indifference wherever they appear.”
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lectured European leaders who attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, “Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again.”
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Shoshana Bryen, senior director of the Jewish Policy Center, wrote: “Following the U.S president’s speech in Davos, in which the threat of tariffs and military action were rescinded, and negotiations were held with Secretary General Mark Rutte of NATO, it seems the actual deal may look more like an expanded defense and resource agreement than an outright transfer of territory. The Dow surged 1.2%, the S&P 500 gained 1.16%, and the Nasdaq 1.18%. Denmark retains sovereignty and the United States gets sovereign space for military bases, plus mineral rights. The kicker? The NATO statement said: “Negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States will go forward aimed at ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold, economically or militarily, in Greenland.”
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NATIONAL
Gov. Josh Stein of North Carolina condemned the swastikas and antisemitic graffiti found earlier this week in Charlotte’s Shalom Park, a 54-acre campus where two synagogues, a JCC, a day camp, the Jewish Federation, and a host of other Jewish community organizations are house. He told Jewish Insider: “These ugly, hate-filled images left in Charlotte’s Shalom Park are unacceptable. My heart goes out to the Jewish North Carolinians who had to bear witness to this hateful ignorance. Every person, regardless of religious background, deserves to live and worship without fear or intimidation. I am dedicated to doing everything I can to root out antisemitism in North Carolina.”
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Madison Mounty, the director of government relations and advocacy for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said two 15-year-old boys arrested for spray painting more than 60 swastikas at Borough Park Brooklyn provide, if convicted, a case study for how important antisemitism education is in the schools. She said: “We have seen too many times how symbols of the, if ignored, become the seeds of something worse. Hate left unchecked metastasizes. That is why confronting antisemitism early, through accountability, education, and prevention, matters.”
STATE & LOCAL
Tye Gregory, CE0 of the Bay Area’s Jewish Community Relations Council, said on social media on Thursday that state Sen. Scott Wiener’s decision to step down as co-chair of California’s Legislative Jewish Caucus will provide the Jewish community and the Senator himself “the ability to move beyond this painful and divisive moment.” Wiener, who is running for Nancy Pelosi’s congressional seat, had condemned Israel’s conduct in Gaza as “genocide.”
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The San Diego Union-Tribune on Friday reported that Brett David Rosen and Rachel Rosen have been indicted by a federal grand jury for an alleged “pump and dump” securities fraud scheme that netted them and their RB Capital Partners securities firm at least $100 million. The Securities and Exchange Commission also has sued the couple in civil court. The Rosens pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the 24-count indictment. The U.S. Attorney said while RB Capital Partners encouraged investors to buy shares of publicly -traded companies, the partners were quietly dumping their own shares.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World