Naz Shah with Ken Livingstone in April 2015

May 1, 2016 12:36 pm

Ruthie Blum

Naz Shah with former London mayor Ken Livingstone in April 2015 — a year before both were suspended from the Labour Party amid allegations of antisemitism.

The rise in antisemitism in Britain is a “core part of far-Left ideology,” according to a new report released in the UK.The report, which the Daily Mail referred to as “alarming, was published by the volunteer-led charity the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism. And though it comes on the heels of a recent series of scandals surrounding the open expression of anti-Jewish sentiment in the Labour Party, its data refers to 2015 – during which, it revealed, there was a 50 percent increase in violent attacks against Jews from the previous year.

Simultaneously, according to the Daily Mail, “[T]here was a worrying decline in the number of cases where suspects were charged.”

Source: New Report Calls Rise in British Antisemitism ‘Core Part of Far-Left Ideology’ | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Read more: Jeremy Corbyn insists ‘Labour has no anti-Semitism problem’ and suggests critics ‘nervous’ of his power as party suspends Ken Livingstone

Labour leader says the Party will monitor his Facebook page and remove any ‘hate speech’ after anti-Semitic comments were posted on it.

Source: Andrew Little deletes hate speech

April 19, 2016 by Ahuva Bar-Lev

The cornerstone for the ANZAC Museum in Beersheba has been set at a ceremony attended by JNF officials from Australia and the Australian ambassador to Israel. The ANZAC Museum will commemorate the history of ANZAC through the personal stories of the combatants.

The conquest of Beersheba by the Mounted Division of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and the British Armed Forces was one of the major victories in the conquest of the land of Israel from the Ottoman Army. The ANZAC Museum, which is now being built in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Beersheba with a contribution from JNF Australia, will commemorate the history of ANZAC through the personal stories of the combatants.

The cornerstone ceremony for the museum was attended by the Mayor of Beersheba, the Ambassador to Israel from Australia and senior executives from KKL-JNF and JNF Australia. The inauguration of the museum is expected to take place on October 31, 2017, the exact date of the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC Mounted Division’s historic charge and conquest of the city.

Read more: ANZAC Museum cornerstone set in Beersheba – J-Wire

By Miriam Bell

Building bridges with art and culture is a time-honoured tradition. It could be a partnership between musicians from countries in conflict, or a fine art exhibition aiming to break down the gap between different parts of the world. Whatever the form, the arts can serve to create empathy, understanding and identification in situations where it might not otherwise exist.In this sense, the signing of a film co-production agreement between New Zealand and Israel in March represents a new beginning. It will be a bridge between the two countries who have, at times, had a somewhat troubled past relationship.The film co-production agreement comes hot on the heels of the 2015 film, “Atomic Falafel” – a madcap, fast-paced satire about the Israel-Iran nuclear showdown with a pro-peace message. The movie, which was a co-production between Israel, New Zealand and Germany, grossed the highest ever box office numbers for a domestic film in Israel. Signed in Wellington by New Zealand’s Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Maggie Barry and Israeli Ambassador Yosef Livne, the agreement covers film, TV animation and digital productions. It means that film makers from Israel and New Zealand will have increased access to funding and incentives in both countries.

Read more: Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council | AIR New Zealand: Moving Pictures to Open Doors

Sir James McNeish

By Miriam Bell

Frenzied, virulent crowds of protestors. Placards accusing Israel of genocide, apartheid and terrorism. Screaming demands to “free Gaza” and support the Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement.

These are the images that spring to mind when thinking about New Zealand demonstrations in support of the Palestinians in recent times. While there has long been a pro-Palestinian movement in New Zealand, and it has always included raucous elements, the fervour surrounding it seems to have ramped up significantly of late.

Back in 2014, at the height of the Israel-Gaza conflict, I wrote about the extreme nature of anti-Israel protests and public pronouncements. I pondered whether there might perhaps be a stream of antisemitism, disguised as anti-Israel sentiment, growing in New Zealand.

These concerns are shared by other New Zealanders, non-Jewish as well as Jewish.

One prominent example is Sir James McNeish, a critically acclaimed novelist, playwright and biographer. One of his books, Lovelock, was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1986 and in 2011 he was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature.

Read more

Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks during the opening ceremony of The Ulma Family Museum Of Poles Saving Jews

The Ulma Family Museum of Poles who Rescued Jews during World War II in the town of Markowa, south-east Poland, is scheduled for opening today, 17 March (CET). President of Poland Andrzej Duda is expected to attend the celebrations.

The exhibition Samaritans of Markowa will be an accompanying event and, Mr Dziedziczak said, it will travel to 27 diplomatic and cultural missions in 24 countries worldwide. A film showcasing the museum will be presented at 22 Polish diplomatic and cultural missions in 24 countries. The exhibition will be shown in New Zealand in the second half of this year.

Source: The Opening of The Ulma Family Museum of Poles Saving Jews

Prof. Scott Poynting

A University of Auckland professor is to leave his job after an anti-Semitism row sparked by a letter to the Waikato Times.  Acclaimed hate crimes expert Professor Scott Poynting​ compared an Israeli company employing Palestinians to a German company employing Jews. The commentary rankled various groups, including the New Zealand Jewish Council and a fellow academic, who complained to the university, branding the professor’s letter to the editor as anti-Semitic.

Source: Auckland University hate-crimes professor leaves job after remark about Jews | Stuff.co.nz

Kosher Kilts and Plaid Skullcaps: Scotland’s Jews Get a Tartan

By STEVEN ERLANGER

MARCH 31, 2016

The new tartan combines colors from the Scottish and Israeli flags — both blue and white — with a central gold line to represent the gold from the Ark, silver to represent the Torah and a deep red to symbolize Kiddush wine.

The Jews of Scotland finally have a tartan to call their own. Or, disputatiously, they seem to have two of them.Rabbi Mendel Jacobs, who calls himself the only Scottish-born rabbi in Scotland, has drawn a wave of attention for his “Jewish Tartan,” the first kosher Jewish tartan registered with the official Scottish Register of Tartans, established by the Scottish Parliament in 2008.

Source: Kosher Kilts and Plaid Skullcaps: Scotland’s Jews Get a Tartan – The New York Times