Israeli universities: American Studies boycott targets ‘breakthroughs that benefit humankind’
(JNS.org) In an advertisement appearing in the New York Times on Dec. 20, the American arms of seven Israeli universities said that the American Studies Association’s (ASA) boycott of Israel targets an academic community that “achieves breakthroughs that benefit humankind.”
“Preventing scholars who live in a pluralistic democracy from participating in the global academic community is reprehensible,” the ad said.
The ad noted achievements of Israeli universities including: Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s development of the Exelon drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia; Tel Aviv University’s development of BioPetroClean, an environmentally friendly technology for cleaning oil spills in seas; Technion-Israel Institute of Technology’s development of Velcade, an new cancer drug; University of Haifa’s identification of the gene capable of increasing the protein content of wheat, contributing to the fight against world hunger; the Weizmann Institute of Science’s development of the multiple sclerosis drugs, Copaxone and Rebif; and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s work towards developing a cure for diabetes. The Open University of Israel, meanwhile, “makes it possible for all Israelis from all walks of life to achieve their full potential through higher education,” said the ad.
1,000 French high school students take ‘Seniors in Blue and White’ trip to Israel
(JNS.org) A group of 1,000 French high school seniors from 25 Jewish schools on Dec. 19 took part in the signature event of a weeklong educational trip to Israel.
The “Bac Bleu Blanc” (Seniors in Blue and White) trip, run by The Jewish Agency for Israel with the support of Keren Hayesod (United Israel Appeal), was launched 11 years ago.
“The French Jewish community is leading a new wave of aliyah to Israel… You will enjoy every moment in Israel and you will see that it is a technological and scientific superpower and the beating heart of the Jewish people. You will return to France as ambassadors of the Jewish people and of the State of Israel,” Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky told the students during the Dec. 19 event at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.
Obama threatens to veto new bipartisan Iran sanctions bill
(JNS.org) President Barack Obama has threatened to veto a new bipartisan Iran sanctions bill introduced in the Senate on Thursday.
The bill—sponsored by a group of 26 senators, 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans—says that Congress must certify Iran’s compliance to the interim nuclear deal every 30 days, and includes “prospective sanctions” that expand economic and financial restrictions on Iran’s energy and banking sections if Iran violates the deal. It also includes language requiring strong American action if Israel launches a pre-emptive strike on the Iran nuclear program.
Major Jewish groups support the bill.
“The bill presents the [Iranian] regime with a clear choice: give up your nuclear weapons pursuit or face sanctions that will totally cripple your economy,” said Michael Kassen, president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
“Until there are tangible, verifiable deeds by Iran to permanently end its quest for nuclear-weapons capability, Congress is doing the right thing, sending a strong message to Iran that it will pay a heavy price if a permanent agreement on its nuclear program is not achieved,” said American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris.
At a press conference, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the bill could undermine diplomatic efforts underway with Iran and hinted that Obama would veto the bill if it landed on his desk.
“Passing new sanctions legislation now will undermine our efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution,” Carney said.
Senate leaders believe the bill is necessary to force Iran to stick to the interim deal.
Pope Francis’s preliminary plans for Holy Land tour revealed
(JNS.org) The preliminary details for Pope Francis’s much-anticipated trip to the Holy Land have been revealed.
The trip is scheduled for May 25-26. According to the preliminary plans, the pontiff will first arrive in Jordan and then take a helicopter to Tel Aviv, where he will be welcomed by an official Israeli government reception. From there, Pope Francis will tour Yad Vashem, the Western Wall, and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. The pontiff will also meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israeli religious leaders.
According to Ynet, some Israeli officials are disappointed by the short nature of the two-day trip and by the fact that the pontiff will not hold Mass in Jerusalem, but instead in Palestinian Authority-controlled Bethlehem. Pope John Paul II’s trip to the region in 2000 last six days, while Pope Benedict XVI’s trip lasted five days in 2009.
The visit to Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank will be the first major trip initiated by Pope Francis. The pope visited Brazil last summer in a trip that was previously scheduled by his predecessor. The Vatican is expected to make an official announcement of Pope Francis’s trip in a few weeks.
Canada calls for U.N. official Richard Falk’s dismissal over accusing Israel of genocide
(JNS.org) Canada has called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to dismiss its special investigator, Richard Falk, over a recent statement accusing Israel of having “genocidal intentions” against the Palestinians in an interview on the Russia Today (RT) television network.
“When you target a group, an ethnic group and inflict this kind of punishment upon them, you are in effect nurturing a kind of criminal intention that is genocidal,” Falk told RT.
Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird called on the U.N. to dismiss Falk immediately.
“Canada has previously called for Falk to be fired for his numerous outrageous and anti-Semitic statements and these comments underscore once more the complete and total absurdity of his service as a UN Special Rapporteur,” Baird said in a statement.
Falk has a long history of making anti-Israel and anti-American remarks, including the floating of conspiracy theories. Last spring, he drew widespread condemnation when he suggested that U.S. and Israeli policies were responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing.
Jerusalem municipality giving out free Christmas trees to Christian residents
(JNS.org) The Jerusalem municipality, with the support of the Jewish National Fund, will distribute free Christmas trees to Christian residents of the city on Dec. 22, three days before the holiday.
“As the home of the three Abrahamic traditions, Jerusalem is dear to over 3.5 billion people of varying faiths around the world. Our city is proud to be an open city, with freedom of religion for all residents,” a press release from the Jerusalem municipality said.
The Jerusalem Development Authority will help local residents in the Christian Quarter of the Old City decorate for Christmas. There are also several special events scheduled throughout Jerusalem to mark Christmas, including a Christmas Eve concert at Jerusalem’s historic YMCA, a Christmas Eve dinner at the American Colony Hotel, tours, and Christmas Mass at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other churches.
Palestinian Authority honors released terrorist prisoners with plaques
(JNS.org) The Palestinian Authority held an event approved by President Mahmoud Abbas honoring several released Palestinian terrorists with plaques of honor. The terrorists were invited on stage to receive the awards.
Later in the event, Palestinian young adults performed a play in which they portray the uniting of Fatah and Hamas supporters, who together shoot and kill Israelis. In the play, the characters also shoot a Palestinian who has been spying for Israel, Palestinian Media Watch (PMW)reported.
“[Fatah and Hamas], unify your ranks. Palestine is calling you. Al-Aqsa [Mosque] is calling you. Haifa, Acre, Jaffa, Lod, Tiberias, Ramle and Safed (all are cities in Israel) all of Palestine is calling you from the river to the deep sea (i.e., all of Israel),” a girl said in the play.
“Do you remember this guy that you saw here? He’s a traitor, a damn spy. In life, it’s either victory or Martyrdom death for Allah,” a boy said on stage.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will pardon Mikhail Khodorkovsky
(JNS.org) Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to pardon oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, whose father is Jewish and has been incarcerated for a decade since his Yukos oil company dissolved and he was arrested on fraud and tax evasion charges.
“When Khodorkovsky was arrested, many, especially in the Jewish press, saw it as an attack against a Jewish businessman, and thus as a reinforcement of pernicious old stereotypes in a country famous for its institutionalized anti-Semitism,” wrote Tablet magazine’s Julia Ioffe in 2011.
Khodorkovsky’s “political ambitions, and his risky battle with Putin, made it even less likely that he would openly identify himself as a Jew, even as his cause was adopted by the American Jewish and Israeli press,” she wrote.
Putin said Thursday regarding Khodorkovsky, “He has been in jail already more than 10 years. This is a serious punishment.”
Sam Kliger, the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) director of Russian Jewish community affairs, does not believe Khodorkovsky’s original arrest was connected to his Jewish father.
Unlike the Soviet government, “Putin’s administration was not antisemitic at all, and still is not. This is just a matter of policy. They decided not to play Anti-Semitic card,” he said. “He was put in jail because I believe, and many believed, that he has some political ambitions, including a desire to run for President (Russia),” he added.
Kliger also believes that Putin’s decision to pardon Khodorkovsky is “a positive sign, and it’s good for Khodorkovsky and his family. Many human rights groups, including AJC, were speaking for his release for many years.”
The upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi are also a possible factor in this decision. Since there are those calling to boycott the games over things taking place in Russia, including anti-gay legislations and political imprisonment, that are perceived as human rights violations, “this is a good gesture to the entire human right community,” Kliger said.
“According to Putin’s calculations, Khodorkovsky is no longer a threat to his political power, which may be a miscalculation, we don’t know,” Kliger added.
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