Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS)-Despite apologizing on Sunday for running an anti-Semitic cartoon that ran in its international edition on Thursday, The New York Times published another anti-Semitic cartoon in the same edition over the weekend. The weekend cartoon by Norwegian cartoonist Roar Hagen depicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with sinister eyes taking a picture of himself with a selfie-stick, carrying a tablet featuring the Israeli flag painted on it. The cartoon also resembles a different one from... Full story
(JNS)-With U.S. President Donald Trump nominating Acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jonathan Cohen to be U.S. ambassador to Egypt, the nomination of Kelly Craft, announced in February, might finally be submitted to the Senate in the near future. That would enable the continuation of the administration's pro-Israel agenda at Turtle Bay, which has included calling out the anti-Israel bias long associated with the United Nations, as well as withdrawing from the U.N. Human Rights Council... Full story
(JNS)—Vice President Mike Pence blasted Democratic freshmen in the House of Representatives on Monday, in addition to certain candidates on the 2020 presidential campaign trail, for the former using “rank anti-Semitic language” and the latter for declining to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual policy conference in Washington. At the same time, he touted the Trump administration’s pro-Israel accomplishments, including the United States withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and relocating the U.S. emba... Full story
(JNS)—The decision last week by the U.S. State Department to change its designation of the Golan Heights from “Israeli-occupied” to “Israeli-controlled” in its annual human-rights report comes amid a push for the United States to officially recognize Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights, which it captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. Additionally, the report’s section on the West Bank and Gaza did not label those areas as being “occupied” or under “occupation.” The current U.S. policy on who controls the West Bank and Gaza is that the final s... Full story
(JNS)-Undergraduate students at Brown University are expected to vote on a referendum from March 19-21, calling on the school to divest from Israel. "The #BrownDivest campaign is organized by a coalition of undergraduate students to identify and divest from companies that profit from Israeli violations of human rights," states the referendum. It accuses the university of doing business that "engage in human-rights violations," such as "Boeing, Caterpillar, G4S, Hewlett Packard Enterprise CO,... Full story
(JNS)—The Democratic Party has long been viewed by most Jewish Americans as its political home. Influenced by the Jewish people’s long history of persecution, urban lifestyle and generally liberal political outlook, American Jews are some of the most reliable Democratic voters with nearly three of out four Jews supporting Democratic presidential candidates in recent elections. Recently, however, the Democratic Party has begun a demographic and political transformation as increasing numbers of minorities and progressive voters—many spurred on by... Full story
(JNS)—The student government at Columbia University rejected a referendum on Sunday night calling on the school to support the movement to boycott Israel. After a four-hour intense meeting consisting of more than 150 onlookers, the Columbia College Student Council failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to pass the BDS proposal, similar to one in 2017 that also proved unsuccessful. “Students worked very hard to defeat this BDS campaign and should be commended for their work. Columbia/Barnard Hillel will continue to invest in con... Full story
(JNS)—John Hickenlooper, the former governor of Colorado, declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 on Monday. Despite having led a state with a relatively small Jewish community, Hickenlooper has a wide-ranging relationship with the Jewish state, including two trips to Israel as the leader of the Centennial State between 2011 and 2019. During his first 100 days in office, Hickenlooper, 67, organized a meeting between 65 Israeli and Colorado water officials to share ideas surrounding water problems and m... Full story
(JNS)—Amid this week being “Palestinian Rights Awareness Week” at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., pro-Israel campus students and Hillel professionals disagree on the appropriate approach toward countering the latest installation of anti-Israel bias. While some campus activists want to fight the initiative head on, Hillel professionals have been counseling the students to “lay low.” The week-long initiative, promoted by Kristina Gupta—an assistant professor at the school’s Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studi... Full story
(JNS)—The United States is expected to recognize a Palestinian state with its capital in eastern Jerusalem as part of its highly anticipated peace plan to solve the 70-year-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an informed source hearing from top Trump administration officials told JNS. The so-called “deal of the century,” which is expected to be released after Israel’s elections on April 9, will include U.S. recognition of Palestine with contingencies, according to the source, who was not provided the specifics behind the conditions. The capital... Full story
(JNS)-After a 21-month-long vacancy awaiting the appointment of the U.S. State Department's Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, the Trump administration has picked Iraq War veteran and attorney Elan Carr to fill the position. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement, and with it said that "promoting human rights and religious freedom, including by combating anti-Semitism everywhere it exists, is a U.S. foreign policy priority that furthers our national interests... Full story
(JNS)—The University of Vermont chapters of J Street U and Students for Justice in Palestine launched a simultaneous attack on the pro-Israel community at the school last week. On Friday, the two groups released corresponding letters blasting the Hillel on campus for accepting funding from the pro-Israel group Maccabee Task Force, which will use some of the monies to organize a trip to Israel for students. In their letters, which closely followed the same message, SJP slammed the UVM pro-Israel community for “a refusal to listen to Pal... Full story
(JNS)—It didn’t take long for Jewish and Israel-related groups to react to the appointment of anti-Israel Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Along with several other new members of Congress, Omar has gained considerable attention as part of a new generation of leadership. Yet the Jewish community has grown concerned over her stances, particularly on Israel. Omar has tweeted that “Israel has hypnotized the world,” and has posted that Israel is an “aparth... Full story
(JNS)-U.S. President Donald Trump's pick to become attorney general has elicited mixed reviews from Jewish groups. William Barr, who served in the same role under the late President George H.W. Bush, is scheduled to face the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and Wednesday. "We endorse his nomination for attorney general. We know that he has exhibited sensitivity to protecting religious rights in the workplace," National Council of Young Israel president Farley Weiss told JNS. "He is clearly... Full story
(JNS)-Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) met with Abbas Hamideh, a Palestinian activist who has said that Israel is a "terrorist entity," over the weekend. "I was honored to be at Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib swearing in ceremony in #Detroit and private dinner afterward with the entire family, friends and activists across the country. #Palestine #TweetYourThobe #RashidaTlaib," Hamideh tweeted. Hamideh, executive director of the U.S.-based Palestine Right to Return Coalition, has equated Zionis... Full story
(JNS)-Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) called on the U.S. Department of Justice to end funding for the Nation of Islam. The Washington Examiner first reported this development and the funding of "at least $364,500 in contracts and awards" from the DOJ and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons between fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2019. "The fact that hard-earned American tax dollars are being funded to this extremist group is not only unacceptable, it's downright immoral," the congressman wrote in a letter on Monday... Full story
(JNS)-Reactions and memories from the Jewish and pro-Israel community have filled news pages and social media following the death of Moshe Arens, former Israeli Defense Minister and mentor of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday at the age of 93. "The Conference of Presidents mourns the loss of a great leader of Israel and dear friend of the Presidents Conference, Minister Moshe Arens. Minister Arens served Israel in many capacities, including as a very impactful and successful... Full story
(JNS)-Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) compared U.S. President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler this week during a sermon he delivered at Atlanta's Friendship Baptist Church. "The Jewish people know a thing about tyranny," said Johnson at the Atlanta NAACP event to commemorate the 156th anniversary of the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery in the South during the Civil War. "Hitler did not start the Nazi Party, but he took over the party with charisma and leadership. The... Full story
(JNS)-Republican Rep. Russ Fulcher, 56, defeated Democratic nominee Cristina McNeil in Idaho's 1st Congressional District in the 2018 midterm elections to replace Republican Rep. Raúl Labrador, who unsuccessfully ran for governor of the state. JNS talked with Fulcher by phone. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Q: What is your overall stance on the U.S.-Israel relationship? A: I get that America and Israel have a very unique relationship based on shared cultural-religious... Full story
(JNS)-Angie Craig, 46, is a health-care executive who unseated incumbent Republican Rep. Jason Lewis on Nov. 6 and became the first LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Minnesota. JNS talked with Craig by phone. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Q: What is your overall stance on the U.S.-Israel relationship? A: I think with support we'll be an active part of promoting a strong, safe and secure Israel, and be supportive of strengthening the relationship our country shares.... Full story
(JNS)-U.S. President Donald Trump nominated State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Friday as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Nikki Haley, who is stepping down at the end of the year. Bloomberg News first reported this development on Thursday night. Nauert, a former Fox News personality, was considered the frontrunner after former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Dina Powell withdrew from consideration. Also touted were U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey... Full story
(JNS)—Ohio State University’s student government overwhelmingly rejected a resolution on Wednesday night, calling on the school to separate itself from firms that do business with Israel. The BDS measure, defeated in a vote of 30-7 with three abstentions, called for OSU to “divest from, and boycott G4S, Caterpillar Inc., Sabra Dipping Company and Hewlett-Packard, all of which benefit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine,” in addition to severing academic ties with the Jewish state. The Undergraduate Student Government’s president and vice... Full story
(JNS)-Donna Shalala, 77, is no stranger to politics or the relationship between the United States and Israel. She served as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton, where she traveled to Israel and helped researchers there obtain grants from the National Institutes of Health, in addition to assisting with other initiatives inside the Jewish state. She then went into the private sector: serving as University of Miami president for 14 years and president of the Clinton... Full story
(JNS)—Donna Shalala, 77, is no stranger to politics or the relationship between the United States and Israel. She served as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton, where she traveled to Israel and helped researchers there obtain grants from the National Institutes of Health, in addition to assisting with other initiatives inside the Jewish state. She then went into the private sector: serving as University of Miami president for 14 years and president of the Clinton Foundation for two years. Shalala, endorsed by t... Full story
(JNS)-After Israeli and Armenian flags were torn down and other items were thrown to the ground by anti-Israel protesters at an event in May at the University of California, Los Angeles, the school's Students Supporting Israel chapter gave a list of demands to the UCLA administration to protect the pro-Israel community. SSI at UCLA is on the front lines fighting against the annual National Students for Justice in Palestine Conference, which UCLA is slated to sponsor from Nov. 16-18. For... Full story
