Weekly roundup of world briefs

Sally Rooney’s boycott of Israel publishers gets backing of 70 writers

By Asaf Shalev

(JTA) — Seventy notable writers and publishers including Rachel Kushner, Francisco Goldman and Eileen Myles have signed a letter supporting Irish novelist Sally Rooney in her refusal to have her third novel translated into Hebrew by an Israeli publisher. 

The letter calls Rooney’s boycott of Israeli publishers “an exemplary response to the mounting injustices inflicted on Palestinians.”

Rooney published her newest novel, “Beautiful World, Where Are You,” in September, but wouldn’t accept an offer to sell the Hebrew translation rights to Modan, the Israeli publisher responsible for putting out her first two novels in Israel. She said she was refusing to do further business with Modan out of support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, a Palestinian initiative against Israeli rule. 

In response, Israel’s largest booksellers decided to remove Rooney’s earlier novels from their shelves. The two books, which were popular in Israel, will no longer be available in the 200 retail locations of bookstores chains Steimatzky and Tzomet Sefarim nor on the chains’ websites. 

On Nov. 22, a pro-Palestinian group called Artists for Palestine UK announced it had organized a letter of support for Rooney with a list of signatories from the United States and Great Britain. 

“Like her, we will continue to respond to the Palestinian call for effective solidarity, just as millions supported the campaign against apartheid in South Africa,” the letter said. “We will continue to support the nonviolent Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality.”

In defending Rooney, the letter said that Modan markets texts published by Israel’s Ministry of Defense and cited a Human Rights Watch report from April that Israel is guilty of instituting a regime of “apartheid.”

Jewish community in Helena, Montana seeks to buy back synagogue building sold for $1 in the 1930s.

By Shira Hanau

(JTA) — It’s been 86 years since the Jewish community of Helena, Montana sold its first synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, to the city of Helena for just one dollar.

Now, the small Jewish community that remains in the town is trying to buy it for nearly $1 million from the Helena Catholic Diocese, which purchased the building in 1981.

Rebecca Stanfel, a member of the community who is leading the effort to raise the necessary funds to purchase the building, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that she had long hoped to restore the building to its original purpose as a gathering place for Helena’s Jews.

“For years, I parked outside the former synagogue, looking at the cross affixed on top, and wondering what might be possible — some day. Now, we are one step closer to making this a reality,” she said.

If purchased by the Montana Jewish Project, the nonprofit established by Stanfel and others to buy the building, the synagogue would serve as a community center, and host cultural events and holiday celebrations. Stanfel also hopes to establish an exhibit dedicated to the history of Montana’s Jewish communities.

Though today’s Jewish community in Helena is small, the capital city was once home to a large Jewish community thanks to the gold rush of the 1860s. The cornerstone of Temple Emanu-El was laid in 1891, a time when hundreds of Jews still flocked to the Reform synagogue to celebrate holidays. The synagogue was built to accommodate 500 worshippers.

But within just a few decades, many of the town’s Jews had moved on, leaving the much smaller community unable to afford the building’s upkeep. In 1935, the community sold the building to the town for just one dollar. The city removed the building’s distinctive decorative copper domes and turned the building into a social services office building before selling it to the Helena Catholic Diocese in 1981.

The group has until February 2022 to raise 75 percent of the necessary funds in order to seal a deal with the Diocese that was signed last week.

Incoming IDF commander: ‘Question of who won will not be in air after next war’

(JNS) — The new commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ Northern Formation, which is the military entity in charge of overseeing wartime maneuvers into Lebanon or Syria, took up his position on Sunday.

Maj. Gen. Sa’ar Tzur was promoted from the rank of brigadier general during a ceremony at IDF Headquarters in Tel Aviv attended by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi.

“The mission of the Northern Formation is challenging and especially complex,” stated Tzur during his speech. “Its mission is to win the war while boosting the connection between maneuvering, firepower strikes and intelligence, which will reach the edge in real time.”

“This connection is what will turn the next war in Lebanon or any other place into a war in which the question of ‘who won?’ will not even be in the air,” he said. “We are called to bravery, to move old walls and concepts, and to reach a place in which we can together utilize our capabilities better.”

During his remarks, Tzur thanked the military for “the opportunity to continue to contribute to the State of Israel” and vowed to “do everything to continue to stand up a strong military in a strong state.”

During the same ceremony, Maj. Gen. Michelle Janko accepted the position of head of the IDF’s Technology and Logistics Branch.

Up for auction: Letter by Einstein about brewing ‘anti-Semitism’ in US academia

(JNS) — The Kedem Auction House in Israel will begin auctioning a handwritten letter by world-renowned physicist and mathematician Albert Einstein this week in which he warns his friend about anti-Semitism in American academia prior to World War II.

Einstein wrote and signed the German-language letter to his friend, Austrian Jewish pianist Bruno Eisner, in 1936. At the time, the latter considered working in the United States while Einstein was already living in Princeton, N.J., following the Nazi rise to power in Germany and Einstein’s decision to renounce his German citizenship and not return to his home country.

“There exists here a tremendous [degree of] anti-Semitism, especially in academia (though also in industry and banking),” Einstein wrote in part, according to an English translation of the letter provided by the auction house. “Mind you, it never takes the form of brutal speech or action, but rather, it brews, all the more intensely, under the surface. It is, so to speak, an omnipresent enemy, one that’s impossible to see, [whose presence] you only perceive.”

Eisner eventually managed to find his niche in the American classical music scene. He nurtured a career as a concert pianist and professor of music, teaching at universities and music academies across the country, and died at age 94 in New York.

The letter will go on sale on Tuesday with a starting price of $10,000.

Einstein was given a position at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University in New Jersey when he left Germany and remained working there until his death at age 76 on April 18, 1955.

Scorned Algerian judoka: Sports federations cooperate with ‘Zionist terrorism’

(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine, who received a 10-year ban from competition for withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics to avoid potentially facing an Israeli opponent, announced on Monday that he was retiring.

Nourine, 30, had unsuccessfully appealed the ban, which went into effect on July 23. He and his coach had 21 days to appeal the ban, imposed by the International Judo Federation.

“I decided to retire after my appeal was rejected, and the 10-year ban remained unchanged,” Nourine said. “I know that international federations have always cooperated with Zionist terrorism, especially the International Judo Federation, and perhaps the best evidence is that the ban remains the same even after my appeal.

“I have no regrets. On the contrary, I am proud of this ban and will take every opportunity that comes my way in order to reveal facts about the Zionist entity, and to defend the Palestinian struggle in every way,” the judoka added.

Nourine withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics on opening day after learning he could face Israeli judoka and Olympic bronze medalist Tohar Butbul. His coach, Amar Benikhlef, also received a 10-year ban.

This report first appeared in Israel Hayom.

Cyber company cofounded by ex-Mossad chief sells for $700 million

By Hili Yacobi-Handelsman 

(Israel Hayom via JNS) — XM Cyber, an Israeli cybersecurity company that was cofounded by former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, was acquired by Schwarz Group, the European retailer announced on Monday.

The company was founded in 2016 by Pardo, Noam Erez and Boaz Gorodissky, all long-time members of Israel’s intelligence community. Israeli-Italian businessman Shaul Shani was the first investor in the company.

Since its inception just five years ago, the company has raised $48 million in investment funding.

XM Cyber’s platform simulates organized cyberattacks to help companies learn how best to respond to them. The platform detects exploitable vulnerabilities and credentials, misconfigurations, and user activities that could potentially put organizations at risk.

The deal helps the Schwarz Group, the world’s fourth-largest retailer and a growing force in cloud computing, to prepare for future challenges relating to IT security, while offering new growth opportunities for XM Cyber.

“XM Cyber brings an innovative approach to proactively prevent cyberattacks using the attacker’s perspective,” the Schwarz Group said in a statement. “By discovering critical attack paths across on-premises and multi-cloud networks, it helps organizations cost-effectively close security gaps before systems are compromised. The comprehensive knowledge in securing complex hybrid cloud networks is also an essential aspect of this strategic acquisition for the Schwarz Group.”

XM Cyber will continue to operate independently out of its headquarters in Herzliya, offering its full suite of products under its current brand and support structure, and will remain committed to supporting its global customer base, the announcement said.

The Israeli company said that the strategic partnership offers immense potential to further expand and develop its business model.

“With the backing and international footprint of the largest European retailer, we can accelerate innovation and growth and further strengthen our position in the global cybersecurity market. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our investors who have supported us along the journey in building this unique company,” said Noam Erez, XM Cyber co-founder and CEO.

This report first appeared in Israel Hayom.

Israeli spy thriller ‘Tehran’ wins International Emmy for best drama series

By Dudi Caspi

(Israel Hayom via JNS)— Israeli spy thriller “Tehran” took home a 2021 International Emmy Award on Monday, winning the Best Drama Series category.

“Tehran,” produced by the Kan public broadcaster and picked up globally by Apple TV+, follows a female Mossad agent who goes undercover on a mission in Iran—to help prepare the ground for an Israeli Defense Forces airstrike on an Iranian nuclear reactor—and unexpectedly falls in love with an Iranian.

The show competed against India’s “Araya,” Chile’s “El Presidente” and the United Kingdom’s “There She Goes.”

“Tehran” is not only an espionage series; it’s also about understanding the human behind your enemy,” executive producer Dana Eden said in her acceptance speech.

The cast and crew “work with Iranian actors from all over the world, Iranian refugees that just fled the current regime … we work in collaboration, through love, and we actually found out that we have a lot in common,” she said.

“I think it gives a lot of hope for the future, and I hope that we can walk together, the Iranians and Israelis, in Jerusalem and in Tehran, as friends and not as enemies,” she added.

The show, which has received critical acclaim both inside and outside of Israel, stars Niv Sultan as Tamar, the young Mossad agent, alongside Navid Negahban, Menashe Noy and Shaun Toub. It was written and created by Moshe Zonder, Maor Kohn and Eden.

Zonder also wrote for the critically acclaimed Netflix show “Fauda.”

The second season of the series is currently being filmed in Athens, where Oscar-nominated actress Glenn Close has joined the series.

“Tehran” was renewed for a second season, Apple TV+ announced in January. The first season premiered on June 22, 2020, in Israel and on Sept. 25 internationally.

This report first appeared in Israel Hayom.

Bill to introduce term limits to the premiership passed in first Knesset reading

(JNS) — The Knesset passed in its first reading on Monday a bill that would introduce term limits for the premiership.

Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who initiated the bill, said during the plenum vote that the proposed legislation enjoys widespread, though quiet, support in the Likud Party

“I know that the faction which has in it the most support for the law in this house is the Likud,” said Sa’ar, according to Channel 12.

However, opposition leader and Likud head Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted on Monday: “[Prime Minister Naftali] Bennett and Gideon [Sa’ar], who didn’t pass the electoral threshold, want to deprive Israeli citizens of their right to vote. It will not work for them. We will win and repeal their Iranian laws.”

Opponents of the bill charge that it was designed to specifically target Netanyahu.

Sa’ar claimed that in the past, Netanyahu “enthusiastically supported” term limits, and questioned why he now opposed them, according to Channel 12.

In parallel with Sa’ar’s proposed legislation, the opposition has introduced its own bill, seeking to limit the term of Supreme Court justices, according to the report.

Knesset member Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionism Party, who introduced the bill, said, “The tenure of a Supreme Court judge gives the individual in office great judicial and public power that touches, directly and indirectly, on most areas of life in the country. Naturally, a long tenure in this powerful position can lead to an excessive concentration of power in the hands of the person holding it, and this can have detrimental consequences.”

Israeli squash team says it will sue if it can’t compete in world championships in Malaysia next month

By Shira Hanau

(JTA) — The Israel Squash Association said it would sue the World Squash Federation if the organization does not ensure the team can compete in the world championships scheduled to take place next month in Malaysia, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Israel and Malaysia do not maintain diplomatic relations and Israelis are barred from visiting the South Asian country. Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad once said he was “glad to be labeled antisemitic.”

The competition, which begins Dec. 7, was originally set to be held in New Zealand but was moved to Malaysia as a result of COVID-19 restrictions in New Zealand.

Responding to a request by the president of the World Squash Federation, Gerard Monteiro, the head of the Malaysian squash organization, said the country “would not be able to guarantee [Israeli players’] safety and well-being.”

Aviv Bushinsky, chairman of the Israeli organization, suggested moving the competition to Israel.

“I find it impossible to believe that in this modern era, there is still a place for discrimination, as well as the mixing of political considerations and sport,” Israel’s Minister of Sport and Culture Chili Tropper said in a statement, according to the Jerusalem Post.

In 2019, the International Paralympic Association stripped Malaysia of the right to host the competition that year after the country refused to allow Israeli athletes to participate.

If the matter isn’t resolved, the Israeli team plans to sue the World Squash Federation at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an independent court.