Activist group calls out Neo-Nazi symbols at Auckland art exhibition | NZ Herald

Opponents of an Auckland art exhibition which featured neo-Nazi flags and symbols of white nationalism have received an apology from one of the exhibition’s co-facilitators, but say it doesn’t go far enough.

The exhibition by Mercy Pictures gallery closed last week, but has come under intense scrutiny by locals and activist group Tāmaki Anti-Fascist Action which believes the display, which did not include context or justification, was deeply hurtful.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the group said many of the images used were clearly symbols of oppression, disguised as art.

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The first plane with Israeli tourists lands in UAE after deal | Stuff

First flight of Israeli tourists arrives in UAE after normalisation

The first flight carrying Israeli tourists to the United Arab Emirates landed Sunday in the city-state of Dubai, the latest sign of the normalisation deal reached between the two nations.

FlyDubai flight No. FZ8194 landed at Dubai International Airport just after 5.40pm (local time), bringing the tourists to the skyscraper-studded city after a nearly three-hour trip. The low-cost carrier had sent one of its Boeing 737s to Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv earlier Sunday morning to pick up the passengers.

The flight flew across Saudi Arabia and then over the waters of the Persian Gulf to reach the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms also home to Abu Dhabi.

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Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks dies | Jerusalem Post

R Jonathan Sacks

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the much respected former chief rabbi of the UK, has died aged 72.Sacks was highly esteemed around the Jewish world for his erudition, his wisdom, and his prolific  authorship of works on Jewish thought.
Baruch Dayan Ha’Emet. It [is] with the deepest sadness that we regret to inform you that Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (HaRav Ya’akov Zvi ben David Arieh z’’l) passed away early this morning, Saturday 7th November 2020 (Shabbat Kodesh 20th MarCheshvan 5781).

— Rabbi Sacks (@rabbisacks) November 7, 2020
Sacks announced in the middle of October that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment, but passed away on Saturday morning.

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UK Labour Party suspends former leader Jeremy Corbyn after release of report on anti-Semitism | Stuff

Former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

[NZFOI:  Finally the UK Labour Party is being honest.]

Britain’s opposition Labour Party has suspended former leader Jeremy Corbyn for comments he made after the release of a report into anti-semitism in the party.

The report said the party failed to stamp out anti-Semitism and committed “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination” against members of the Jewish community.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission found “significant failings” and a “lack of leadership” in how the left-of-center party handled allegations of anti-Semitism among its members.

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Following Facebook, Twitter will now ban Holocaust denial | JTA

Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO

Twitter will now ban posts that deny the Holocaust.

Bloomberg News reported Wednesday that a Twitter spokesperson said posts that “deny or distort” violent events including the Holocaust would be banned.

Twitter is the second major social media network to ban Holocaust denial this week. Facebook announced on Monday that it would ban posts that deny or distort the Holocaust, two years after Mark Zuckerberg said Holocaust denial should be allowed in the name of free speech.

“We strongly condemn anti-semitism, and hateful conduct has absolutely no place on our service,” the Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. “We also have a robust ‘glorification of violence’ policy in place and take action against content that glorifies or praises historical acts of violence and genocide, including the Holocaust.”

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Rabbi Jonathan Sacks diagnosed with cancer, undergoing treatment | Arutz Sheva

R Jonathan Sacks

NZFOI: R Lord Jonathan Sacks has been a credible voice of reason and wisdom in a world that faces increasing chaos and division. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment to aid his recovery.

A spokesperson for The Office of Rabbi Sacks said that the Rabbi “remains positive and upbeat and will now spend a period of time focused on the treatment he is receiving from his excellent medical team. He is looking forward to returning to his work as soon as possible.”

“For those who wish to include Rabbi Sacks in their prayers and thoughts, his Hebrew name is HaRav Ya’akov Zvi ben Liba,” the spokesperson concluded.

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PA Mufti: Sharia’h obligates every Muslim to wage Jihad against what the PA calls “the ‎thieving Jews” | PMW

Referring to previous Islamic religious rulings that “obligate” Muslims to “fight ‎against the thieving Jews,” a host on official PA TV interviewed the PA Grand ‎Mufti on the aspects of Sharia’h law in connection with the UAE and ‎Bahrain’s recent peace agreements with Israel.‎

The PA Mufti stressed that “if an inch of the Muslims’ lands is stolen, Jihad ‎becomes a personal religious commandment for everyone.” The PA defines ‎all of the State of Israel as stolen Islamic land – a waqf – which is an ‎inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law. Therefore, according to the ‎PA Mufti, Shari’ah law prohibits Palestinians from recognizing Israel in any borders and commands that every Muslim has a personal duty to ‎wage war against Israel until the “Muslim” land is freed. He further stated that the UAE and Bahrain are ‎‎“twisting” these religious rulings, noting that this is “forbidden” and that they will ‎have to answer to Allah for this.

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Australia halves its financial aid to UNRWA | JNS

UNRWA employees protest against a US withdrawal of funding in 2018

The Australian government has followed in U.S. footsteps and cut financial aid to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), according to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade budget papers.

While the aid reduction was not officially announced by the Australian government, according to a report published on the website of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) on Friday, it was listed in the 2020-21 budget papers, released on Oct. 6.

According to the budget estimate, Australia will give $10 million to UNRWA in 2020-21, compared to $20 million in 2019-20.

Separately, UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview published on Monday in The Guardian, “We are constantly in crisis mode when it comes to the cash flow. UNRWA is constantly running after the cash.”

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Facebook reverses policy and bans Holocaust denial on its platforms | CBS

Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook has announced a ban on content that denies or distorts the Holocaust. The policy marks a reversal on how to handle a disturbing category of posts that CEO Mark Zuckerberg once said should not be blocked on the platform even though they’re false. 

The company updated its hate speech policy to prohibit such content, Monika Bickert, VP of Content Policy at Facebook, said in a statement on Monday. 

“Our decision is supported by the well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally and the alarming level of ignorance about the Holocaust, especially among young people,” she said.

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Jewish American Paul Milgrom shares Nobel Prize in economics for auction theory discoveries | JTA

Paul Milgrom

 Jewish American economist Paul Milgrom will share the Nobel Prize in economics with American economist Robert Wilson for their work in auction theory, the the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Monday.

The laureates’ theoretical discoveries in their studies of how auctions work have improved auctions in practice, according to the prize committee. Milgrom and Wilson have “used their insights to design new auction formats for goods and services that are difficult to sell in a traditional way, such as radio frequencies. Their discoveries have benefitted sellers, buyers, and taxpayers around the world.”

Milgrom, 72, raised in a Jewish family in Detroit, earned a PhD in economics from Stanford University in 1979 and is now the the Shirley and Leonard Ely Jr. Professor of Humanities and Sciences there. Wilson was his thesis advisor.

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