A former Antisemitism Envoy adopted a new, Israel-centric definition for antisemitism, and then used it to train U.S. diplomats. The envoy position has proved a revolving door to Israel lobbying organizations (see video). Now groups from the ADL to the Southern Poverty Law Center are disturbed that Trump isn’t filling the position.
Amith Gupta reports in Mondoweiss that claims of “antisemitism” at the annual “Dyke March” in Chicago were untrue. Witnesses say that many paraders wore kippas, Stars of David, etc. The smears, they say, were initiated by Israel partisan Laurel Grauer…
The progressive organization Moveon is featuring Ben & Jerry’s in its latest action alert, even though the ice cream company is being boycotted by three different social justice campaigns for its unethical practices in the Palestinian territories and its treatment of workers & the environment in Vermont.
Instead of commemorating a tragic death with legislation that will cut off funding to Palestinians and create more misery and, most likely, violence, Congress should enact a Rachel Corrie Act, a Brian Avery Act, an Emily Henoschowitz Act, a Tristan Anderson Act, a Tariq Abukhdeir Act, and an Orwah Hammad Act. See details of what they would contain…
Grant Smith of IRMEP reports that a poll reveals the disconnect between the American public and Congress on the issue of Israel. Both major US political parties are overwhelmingly Zionist, while their constituents, according to the poll, are only 24.9% Zionist.
UC Irvine’s Students for Justice in Palestine group were harassed and intimidated during their anti-Zionism week events by Israel supporters. The campus has been a focal point for Israel advocacy groups seeking to conflate Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism.
Electronic Intifada reports: Labour Friends of Israel chair Joan Ryan demanded that Corbyn cut ties with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Ryan threatened to revive the anti-Semitism witch hunt that engulfed Labour last year; Ryan herself had been caught personally engaging in concocting false anti-Semitism charges against a member of her own party…
Both AIPAC and J Street lauded the passage, by 98-2, of a Senate bill to impose new sanctions on Iran. Voting against it were Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders… all the others did what the Israel lobby told them to do.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s statement that an antisemitism envoy may be unnecessary are challenged by representatives of the Israel lobby, quoted at length by Newsweek reporter Stav Ziv, whose family is from Israel.
JTA reports that Michael Steinhardt, billionaire founder of Birthright Israel (a free, ten-day trip to Israel that is enjoyed by a large percentage of Jewish young adults) considers the state of Israel “the Jewish miracle of the 20th century.” Now he is creating public schools that teach about Israel…