Weekly roundup of world briefs

Trial over ‘dissolution’ of Jewish Agency activities in Russia set for Aug. 19

(JNS) — A Moscow court on Thursday set an Aug. 19 trial date that could result in the “dissolution” of the Jewish Agency’s activities in Russia, even as an Israeli delegation was in the Russian capital in a bid to resolve an issue that has created a major diplomatic spat between the two countries.

The Russian Justice Ministry earlier this month sent a letter to the Jewish Agency outlining a list of demands that created the legal basis for Thursday’s initial hearing, Kan News said in a report.

In response, Yaakov Hagoel, acting chairman of the Jewish Agency, remarked: “The Jewish Agency for Israel plays a critical role in cultivating Jewish identity and establishing a connection to Israel for Jews all over the world. As such, its vital activities that serve the Jewish communities in Russia will continue in order to ensure the community thrives and remains connected to their heritage and the State of Israel.”

According to Interfax, the request to cease the Jewish Agency’s operations was made by the Russian Justice Ministry to the Basmanny District Court, alleging “legal violations.”

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced that the Israeli delegation had left following a significant delay caused by Russia’s apparent unwillingness to issue entry visas.

Lapid warned on Sunday that the shuttering of the Jewish Agency’s offices in Russia could have “a serious impact” on diplomatic relations between Jerusalem and Moscow.

Canada says Jews were most-targeted religious minority for hate crimes last year

By David Lazarus

MONTREAL (JTA) — Canada’s 380,000 Jews were the most targeted religious minority for hate crimes reported to police in 2021, the country’s official numbers keeper reported Tuesday.

Statistics Canada said that the Jewish community, comprising about 1percent of the population, were victims of 14 percent of reported hate crimes. Jews saw a 47percent rise in reported hate crimes compared to 2020, according to the bureau.

“We are deeply concerned that incidents of hate crimes rose yet again in Canada in 2021,” said Shimon Koffler Fogel, head of the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “This disturbing trend clearly proves the need for more proactive measures to stop the rising hate targeting diverse Canadians based on their identity.”

Only Black Canadians, who make up about 3.5% of the country’s population, reported more hate crimes. Overall, 1.3 Canadian Jews in every 1,000 reported being victims of hate crime in 2021.

“Statistically, Canadian Jews were more than 10 times more likely than any other Canadian religious minority to report being the target of hate crime,” Fogel said. “This is alarming.”

Canada’s official tally showed the same trend as tallies of antisemitic incidents in other countries last year. The Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom all reported increased incidents of antisemitism, while the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit in the United States, said it recorded more antisemitic incidents last year than at any time since it began tracking incidents in 1979.

Statistics Canada cautioned in its crime report that “fluctuations in the number of reported incidents may be attributable to a true change in the volume of hate crimes, but they might also reflect changes in reporting by the public because of increased community outreach by police or heightened sensitivity after high-profile events.”

Israeli Air Force to inspect F-35 jets after US grounds fleet over safety concerns

(JNS) — Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar on Saturday ordered the evaluation of the military’s 33 F-35 fighter jets after it emerged that the aircraft could have faulty ejection seat mechanisms.

On July 29, the U.S. Air Force said it was temporarily grounding its F-35 fleet over a problem with the system that blasts out ejector seats in the event of an emergency.

“Following a situation assessment, the IAF commander ordered a check for the whole of the order of battle for the Adir jet [the IAF’s name for the F-35] before the next flight. This is a process that will be carried out by technical crews and is expected to be complete in the coming days,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

“The IAF commander stressed that the checks must occur in a meticulous and fundamental manner in order to return the fleet to full readiness while maintaining a high flight standard,” the statement added.

Maj. Gen. Bar will approve on a case-by-case basis all operational F-35 flights that are necessary before the evaluations are concluded, according to the IDF.

An IAF source said that “the United States Air Force and we are acting correctly. We will not take unnecessary risks. We’ll begin checks and manage the incident.”

Israel has purchased a total of 75 F-35 jets, with the next 17 expected to be delivered by the end of 2024. Lockheed Martin manufactures the jets, while the ejection seats are made by Martin-Baker.

Shalom Dov Ber Lipsh, 14, killed returning from tefillin-wrapping

(JNS) — Shalom Dov Ber Lipsh, an eighth-grader in the Chabad school in Nachlat Har Chabad — the Chabad neighborhood in Kiryat Malachi, Israel — was doing what he loved to do on Friday afternoons: helping Jewish men and boys put on tefillin and say a short prayer.

On his way home, the 14-year-old was hit by a car and killed on the spot. The driver has been taken in for questioning.

“The first day of the month of Menachem Av, right before Shabbat, has become a day of mourning and tragedy,” said Eliyahu Zohar, mayor of Kiryat Malachi. “We all share the deep pain of the family on the loss of their son, the tzadik, who was participating in the tefillin campaign in area stores. We embrace the family in these difficult times and are ready to assist them in every way.”

UK soccer fan banned for three years after performing Nazi salute at game

(JNS) — A sports fan in the United Kingdom who made a Nazi salute towards fans of the British football (soccer) team Tottenham Spurs has been banned from attending matches for three years, reported Jewish News.

Shay Asher, 24, a fan of Newcastle United, was charged with racially aggravated harassment for making the Nazi gesture during a Premier League game that took place in October 2021. He admitted to the charge in April and was fined £200, about $243, by the Newcastle Magistrates Court.

He returned to the court to face a Football Banning Order, a measure pushed by the prosecution. During the hearing, the court agreed to impose the three-year ban.

Under its terms, Asher must surrender his passport, avoid soccer fields and keep away from soccer matches in the United Kingdom, according to Jewish News.He has also received a medical discharge from the Royal Engineers, a part of the British Army.

“This defendant took it upon himself to produce a Nazi salute,” said prosecutor Brian Payne.

He added that Asher “knew, or must have known, that there was a likelihood of there being a strong Jewish presence among the away supporters. It was a pretty deliberate and cynical action.”

The Tottenham Spurs are known for having a large Jewish fan base who call themselves the “Yid Army.”

Asher’s lawyer, John Wesencraft, opposed the banning order, saying the gesture was done in a “moment of madness,” and that his client was not likely to do it again.

Israel sends 25,000 instant meals to Kharkiv, Ukraine

(JNS) — Israel sent 25,000 instant meals to Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, which has been a frequent target by Russia since its February invasion.

The July 27 shipment was announced by Israel’s Ambassador in Ukraine Michael Brodsky in a Twitter post. He also uploaded pictures showing the shipped boxes, saying it was “part of continuing Israeli humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.”

The shipment was organized with help from MASHAV-Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation.

Kharkiv, which is a largely Russian-speaking area of Ukraine, has suffered heavy artillery fire and missile strikes since the start of the war. The Russian border at its closest is just 20 miles away from the city, according to AFP.

Last week, a barrage of shelling in Kharkiv killed three people, including a 13-year-old boy, adding to a death toll that the city’s mayor Igor Terekhov said is in the “many hundreds,” reported AFP.

“We have nine districts in the city, and they are all being bombed with varying intensity and at different times. So you can’t say anywhere in Kharkiv is safe,” said Terekhov. He added that since the start of the war, 30 percent of houses and apartments in the city have been destroyed, leaving nearly 150,000 people homeless.

Earlier in July, Israel’s Defense Ministry approved a shipment of defense aid to Ukraine that included 1,500 helmets, 1,500 protective vests, 1,000 gas masks, hundreds of mine protection suits and dozens of hazmat filtration systems, according to i24News.

Shi’ite Muslim children in Houston pledge to be soldiers of Iranian ayatollah

(JNS) — Iranian children in Texas singing a song titled “Salute, Commander,” which pledges allegiance to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was posted to the IslamicTV YouTube channel on July 27.

The Islamic Education Center of Houston initially uploaded the video to its Facebook and YouTube accounts, though these postings were later taken down, reported MEMRI. The song was sung by the kids in both English and Farsi.

The song’s lyrics say: “[Khamenei] is calling on his children, his soldiers. … In spite of my age, I will be your army’s commander. … May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, I will sacrifice everything for you. … I make an oath to be your martyr, Ali.”

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force Commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in January 2020, is praised as a role model in the song’s original Farsi lyrics.

In addition, the Islamic Education Center of Houston held a ceremony to commemorate the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran on its 40th anniversary in February 2019.

Biden administration approves large-scale military sales to Gulf states

(JNS) — The Biden administration authorized two large-scale defense sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, to help defend against threats from Iran, the Associated Press reported.

The more than $5 billion in missile defense and related sales come after U.S. President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East last month, which included meetings with a number of regional officials and leaders in Saudi Arabia.

The new sales include $3 billion for Patriot anti-missile missiles for Saudi Arabia to defend against Houthi missile attacks, and $2.2 billion for high-altitude missile defense THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missiles for the UAE.

In a notice informing Congress of the sale, the State Department said, “The proposed sale will improve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats by replenishing its dwindling stock of PATRIOT GEM-T missiles.”

“These missiles are used to defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s borders against persistent Houthi cross-border unmanned aerial system and ballistic missile attacks on civilian sites and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia,” the statement continued.

The sale to the UAE would “support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important regional partner. The UAE is a vital U.S. partner for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” said the State Department.

Rapper apologizes for performing in swastika-adorned T-shirt

(JNS) — The British rapper Slowthai apologized for donning an “anti-fascist” T-shirt with the word “destroy” above a Nazi swastika during his July 30 performance at the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival in Montreal.

“I’m sorry to anyone who is offended by me wearing an anti-fascist/anti-regime T-shirt and the use of the symbol it represents,” tweeted the 27-year-old musician, whose real name is Tyron Kaymone Frampton, on Monday.

His stage moniker apparently originates from his childhood nickname given to him due to his slow speech and drawled tone: “slow ty.”

“I want you to know I stand firmly against antisemitism and fascism of any kind, something the T-shirt was meant to illustrate with the word ‘destroy’ above the symbol,” he said.

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted in response: While @slowthai’s intent at @osheaga may have been to denounce Nazism, the message was very badly executed.”

“This ambiguous display of the swastika was frightening for Jews and others and should never have made it to the stage,” said the statement.

Lebanese archbishop carried more than $460,000 from Israel to Lebanon

(JNS) — The latest sectarian spat in crisis-torn Lebanon centers on a Lebanese archbishop who brought more than $460,000 from Israel to Lebanon. The case may even affect the upcoming presidential election.

The detention of the archbishop was viewed as an assault on the church by a large portion of the Christian community, reported the AP.

Last month, Lebanese border guards briefly detained the clergyman. They seized 20 suitcases filled with cash and medicine on the grounds that he had broken Lebanon’s strict laws against normalizing relations with Israel.

Opponents of Hezbollah claim that the Iranian-backed organization controls Lebanese institutions and security forces and has employed them to target the Maronite Church. The patriarch of the Maronite Church, whose patriarch has grown more critical of the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its expanding influence in Lebanon, is the archbishop, Moussa el-Hajj, a senior member of the church.

According to the report, Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, 71, argued that the money used in the legal case against el-Hajj was for charitable purposes in a sermon he gave at the end of last month. He urged the dismissal of the charges and the resignation of the military judge overseeing the case.

Standing ovations greeted al-Rai, and protesters gathered at his vacation home the following week to show their support for the church.

Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc leader Mohammad Raad called the archbishop’s delivery of cash and medicine normalization and a “national betrayal and crime.”

According to a source familiar with the case, the authorities made al-Rai an offer to return the confiscated phone and passport of the archbishop in exchange for keeping the bags containing cash and medication. But according to reports, al-Rai declined, and the archbishop will not show up for any hearings.

Canada says Jews were most-targeted religious minority for hate crimes last year

By David Lazarus

MONTREAL (JTA) — Canada’s 380,000 Jews were the most targeted religious minority for hate crimes reported to police in 2021, the country’s official numbers keeper reported Tuesday.

Statistics Canada said that the Jewish community, comprising about 1 percent of the population, were victims of 14 percent of reported hate crimes. Jews saw a 47 percent rise in reported hate crimes compared to 2020, according to the bureau.

“We are deeply concerned that incidents of hate crimes rose yet again in Canada in 2021,” said Shimon Koffler Fogel, head of the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “This disturbing trend clearly proves the need for more proactive measures to stop the rising hate targeting diverse Canadians based on their identity.”

Only Black Canadians, who make up about 3.5 percent of the country’s population, reported more hate crimes. Overall, 1.3 Canadian Jews in every 1,000 reported being victims of hate crime in 2021.

“Statistically, Canadian Jews were more than 10 times more likely than any other Canadian religious minority to report being the target of hate crime,” Fogel said. “This is alarming.”

Canada’s official tally showed the same trend as tallies of antisemitic incidents in other countries last year. The Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom all reported increased incidents of antisemitism, while the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit in the United States, said it recorded more antisemitic incidents last year than at any time since it began tracking incidents in 1979.

Statistics Canada cautioned in its crime report that “fluctuations in the number of reported incidents may be attributable to a true change in the volume of hate crimes, but they might also reflect changes in reporting by the public because of increased community outreach by police or heightened sensitivity after high-profile events.”