Weekly roundup of world briefs

Barry Manilow tests positive for COVID, will miss NYC debut of his musical ‘Harmony’

By Andrew Silow-Carroll

(New York Jewish Week) — Singer Barry Manilow tested positive for COVID-19, preventing him from attending the New York premier of his musical “Harmony.”

The show, about a real-life musical group popular in Germany in the years before World War II, opened Wednesday night at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in lower Manhattan.

“I am heartbroken to say that I have just tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t be able to attend tonight’s opening night performance of my new musical, ‘Harmony,’” Manilow, 78, said in a statement.  “This just might be the cruelest thing that has ever happened to me: 25 years waiting for this show to premiere in New York and I can’t attend. Even in the face of this pandemic, we New Yorkers remain the toughest, staunchest people on the planet — so, put on a mask and go see a show!”

Manilow, whose 28 top ten hits include “Mandy” and “”Ready to Take a Chance Again,” created the musical, which premiered in 1997, with his longtime writing partner Bruce Sussman. The New York staging is being produced by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.

“We’re doing what we’ve wanted to do forever, which is bring ‘Harmony, to New York,” Manilow told the New York Jewish Week last month. “This theater in particular is very moving. It just really resonates with this show, and with me and Bruce. It’s a very big impact on the audiences, being in this theater.”

Jewish approval of Biden drops to 63 percent from 80 percent last year

By Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The good news for Joe Biden is that a majority of U.S. Jews approve of the job he is doing. The bad news is that the number in a new poll, 63 percent, is a sharp double-digit drop from where he was last year.

A poll released Wednesday by the Jewish Electorate Institute, a group led by prominent Jewish Democrats, showed Biden’s approval rating down from 80 percent in a poll by the same organization last July. His disapproval rating this year is at 37 percent, up from 20 percent last July.

Both polls were carried out by GBAO Strategies. The Jewish Electorate Institute put a positive spin on the numbers. “Jewish Americans continue to support President Biden and the Democratic Party at levels higher than the general American voting population, a trend that appears on track to continue in this year’s midterm elections and in the future,” said the group’s chairman, Martin Frost, a former Jewish Democratic congressman from Texas.

Biden’s approval numbers generally have dropped precipitously in the last year, a result of a botched exit from Afghanistan, a persistent pandemic and inflation that his government can’t stem. His approval rating generally is hovering at 42 percent, the lowest of his presidency. Jewish voters generally favor Democrats.

One area Biden scores well among Jews is in his handling of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with 72 percent approving.

Support for Democrats on a generic congressional ballot also dropped from 68 percent to 61 percent while support for Republicans rose from 21 percent to 26 percent. Both parties are already campaigning heavily in Jewish communities where shifts in the vote can change the make-up of Congress, where Democrats have a thin majority.

The pollsters reached 800 registered Jewish voters via text from March 28-April 3 and the margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

New report exposes SJP’s methods of intimidating Jewish students at Cornell

(JNS) — Canary Mission released a new report that documents and exposes Students for Justice in Palestine at Cornell University (SJP Cornell) and its efforts to “create an environment hostile for Jews on campus.”

The 25-page report highlighted the activities of the group and its supporters, including students, graduates and professors, from 2014 to 2022. It provided examples of how SJP Cornell “intimidates supporters of Israel and has even waged a misinformation campaign to dismiss the rise in anti-Semitism,” according to Canary Mission.

It also documented the group’s “hostility and gaslighting,” and its strategy to place their activists on the student government to use their positions to demonize Israel and pass resolutions in support of the BDS movement.

The report additionally revealed that Cornell SJP has “a history of aggressive anti-Israel protests and disruptions on campus.”

During Israel’s 11-day conflict last May with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, SJP Cornell targeted Jewish supporters of Israel on campus and hosted a series of protests supporting Palestinian terrorism. The student group pushed anti-Israel statements in the Student Assembly and blamed Israel for the conflict. They accused Israel of “apartheid” and “provocations against Palestine—from the occupation of Sheikh Jarrah to the assault on Al-Aqsa mosque and the bombings of the Gaza Strip.”

Cornell’s Hillel reported at the time that Jewish students felt increasingly “unsafe” at the school due to a series of anti-Semitic acts on campus.

SJP Cornell hosted an event on March 25 with Palestinian activist Mohammad El-Kurd, who has a history of spreading anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories; demonizing Israel; and expressing support for terrorists and the second Intifada.

Canada to outlaw Holocaust denial, downplaying of Nazi persecution of Jews

(JNS) — The federal government in Canada is set to make Holocaust denial and the downplaying of the murder of Jews by the Nazis a criminal offense except in private conversation, reported The Canadian Press.

Language outlawing Holocaust denial will be added to the criminal code in the government budget. The budget will also allocate $5.6 million over five years to support the office of Irwin Cotler, Canada’s special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating anti-Semitism.

“Holocaust denial and distortion constitute a cruel assault on memory, truth and justice—an anti-Semitic libel to cover up the worst crime in history—and thereby a cruel and mocking rebuke to Holocaust survivors and their legacy,” stated Cotler.

“There is no place for anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in Canada,” said Canada’s Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino. “That’s why we’ve pledged to prohibit the willful promotion of anti-Semitism through condoning, denying or downplaying the Holocaust. The Holocaust was one of the darkest chapters in human history. We must preserve its memory, combat contemporary anti-Semitism and be unequivocal when we say: never again.”

The change to the criminal code comes after Parliament member Kevin Waugh introduced a separate bill earlier this year criminalizing Holocaust denial. He called the move a “win for everybody.”

The government budget does not specify the punishment for a person convicted of Holocaust denial, though Waugh’s bill proposes up to two years in prison, according to The Canadian Press.

The budget will also allocate more than $70 million to initiatives aiding Canada’s Jewish community, including $20 million for the relocation and expansion of the Montreal Holocaust Museum, as well as $2.5 million to help the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre in Toronto.

Canada joins several European nations that have already outlawed Holocaust denial, including Germany, Greece, France, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Two Palestinian terrorists killed in firefight with IDF near Jenin

(JNS) — Two armed Palestinian terrorists were killed in a firefight with Israeli security forces in Kafr Dan, near Jenin, overnight Wednesday, Ynet reported on Thursday.

One of the gunmen was named as Sha’as Kamamji, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad member and the brother of Iham Kamamji, one of six Palestinian security prisoners who escaped Gilboa prison in September 2021 and was recaptured in Jenin shortly afterward.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, violent disturbances broke out during Israeli counter-terror operations in the village, with Palestinian rioters hurling explosives and shooting at the Israeli troops, who responded with live fire. No Israeli casualties were reported.

The operation in Kafr Dan was part of a wider series of counter-terror operations in Judea and Samaria on Wednesday night, including raids in Balata, Hebron and Beit Omer. Eighteen suspects were arrested and two weapons seized, along with a number of IDF uniforms, according to the military.

Israel’s women’s fencing team wins gold at junior world championship in Dubai

(JNS) — Israel’s national women’s fencing team took home the gold medal at the 2022 Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships, held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

In the junior women’s team épée, Israel won first place with a 45-42 score against Poland in the finals on Sunday. Poland won the silver after beating the United States in the semifinal round, 39-34. The bronze medal went to the United States.

“I believed in myself, in my team, in my coach and in my fencing—it was a great day,” said Israeli fencer Nicole Feygin. “For the comeback in the final, I knew I had to get to 45. My coach told me to do it, and I did. I feel great, and it was amazing.”

The competition was held over the course of nine days with 18 events at the Hamdan Sports Complex. This year’s international competition also had the largest participation in its history—1,644 fencers from 103 countries. There were 42 men’s teams and 33 women’s teams participating.

In the junior men’s team épée, Egypt won the gold medal 45-40 against the United States. The bronze medal went to France. Jordanian junior fencer Eyas Al-Zamer withdrew from the same competition to avoid competing against an athlete from Israel.

Israel Police officers to receive special grants aimed at boosting motivation

(JNS) — Israel Police officers will receive special grants to boost their motivation levels, the Israeli Finance and Public Security Ministries announced on Wednesday, together with the Israel Police.

The agreement comes after Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Public Security Minister Omar Bar-Lev, and Director of Salary and Employment Agreements in the Finance Ministry Kobi Bar-Nathan approved the fiscal aid.

The grants will “increase the sense of security among Israeli civilians by compensating police serving in the Old City and holy places, promoting excellence and strengthening enforcement in the Arab sector,” a joint statement said. “The grants will be differential and given on the basis of clear criteria.”

They will be distributed as part of a biannual program created by the police’s Personnel and Planning branches.

The financial assistance will further bolster the police’s national 100 call center, as well as investigators in police stations who are in continuous contact with the public.

Police motorcyclists will also be grant recipients, as will those who enter officer courses and become instructors.

“The motivation of Israel Police officers is highly important, especially during these days,” said Lieberman. “We will continue to incentivize those who guard the security of the State of Israel and express our deep appreciation for their actions. Through active steps and initiatives, we will boost the sense of security among the country’s civilians.”

Secure Community Network releases new guidebook for safety at Jewish institutions

(JNS) The Secure Community Network (SCN) has released a new guidebook about the use of private security at Jewish institutions and plans to hold a webinar in late April to discuss the findings.

The release of “Private Security: Window Dressing or Real Protection? A Roadmap for Securing Sacred Spaces,” comes just two weeks after a private security guard at the

Columbus Torah Academy in Ohio was arrested for making threats against the school.

“At a time of increased anti-Semitism and given the ongoing threat of targeted violence facing the Jewish community, this white paper provides a crucial resource to secure and protect our community members and organizations,” said SCN national director and CEO Michael Masters. “The report reflects the insights of top law enforcement and security professionals and will help guide Jewish organizations in developing their security plans.”

The report noted several instances of private guards at Jewish institutions behaving badly, including:

A private security officer at a large synagogue in Pennsylvania was terminated after smoking marijuana on the job.

A private security officer at a Jewish day school in Florida was caught wearing a wristband for the white-supremacist group Proud Boys.

A private security officer was found publishing anti-Semitic statements on social media while ostensibly keeping watch at a community event.

Brad Orsini, senior national security advisor at SCN who contributed to the report, said “because there is no one-size-fits-all security solution, the report instead provides structured questions that should be answered before implementing private security services.”

IRGC commander: Deaths of all US leaders would not vindicate Soleimani killing

(JNS) — Mohammad Pakpour, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that killing all American leaders would not be enough to avenge the assassination of former IRGC commander of the Quds Force, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, according to Iranian state media.

“Martyr Soleimani was such a great character that if all American leaders are killed, this will still not avenge his assassination,” he said, as reported by Reuters. “We should avenge him by following Soleimani’s path and through other methods.”

The United States assassinated Soleimani in a drone strike at the Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.

Soleimani led the division responsible for clandestine military operations throughout the Middle East and the world. In his later years, he was considered by some analysts to be the right-hand man of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as the second-most powerful person behind him.

U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week that he is against removing Iran’s Quds Force, part of the IRGC, from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

Airline deletes Holocaust-related ad from social media after facing backlash

(JNS) — The low-cost British airline EasyJet removed from its official social-media account an advertisement that featured a flight number tattooed on a customer’s arm after social-media users criticized the ad’s references to the Holocaust.

“While this is a genuine picture of a customer’s tattoo celebrating their first flight with us, we understand the concerns raised and as a result decided to remove the post,” EasyJet said in a released statement, the New York Post reported on Monday.

EasyJet shared the ad online over the weekend, captioning it: “You never forget your first flight.”

The arm tattoo in the ad was similar in style to those forcibly given to Jews in the Holocaust and “never forget” is a common phrase used to remember the Nazi persecution of Jews during World War II.

One Twitter user shared a screenshot of the ad before EasyJet deleted it, writing wrote, “No, EasyJet. Please, no.” He added that “this is why corporate social-media channels need to vet and authorize content before being distributed.”

A separate Twitter user called the ad “utterly disgusting,” while another commented, “That’s absolutely appalling, how anyone could think that is acceptable is beyond me.”

In 2009, EasyJet apologized and withdraw almost 3,000 copies of an in-flight magazine following complaints about a photo spread that showed fashion models posing at the Jewish Museum in Berlin and leaning against a Holocaust memorial.

The airline also apologized in 2020 for referring to Italy as the “land of mafia and earthquakes,” according to the New York Post.