Weekly roundup of world briefs

Iran executes four convicted of working with Israel’s Mossad

(JNS) — Iran on Sunday executed four men convicted of cooperating with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Reuters reported. Three other people received prison sentences of between five and 10 years.

“This morning, the sentences of four main members of the gang of mobsters related to the Zionist intelligence service were executed,” the Mizan Online website reported.

Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported last week that those sentenced to death had been charged with “the crime of cooperating with the intelligence services of the Zionist regime and for kidnapping…. This network of thugs was stealing and destroying private and public property, kidnapping people and obtaining fake confessions,” it added.

The accused were reportedly arrested in June, prior to the onset of the current anti-regime protests sweeping the country.

In October, Tehran announced it had arrested 10 persons accused of working for Israel, Reuters reported at the time.

Also last month, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel and the United States of orchestrating the protests taking place throughout the country.

Travelers take cover as car bursts through Ben-Gurion Airport barrier

(JNS) — Security officers at Ben-Gurion Airport shot and injured a Palestinian man who burst through a checkpoint at Israel’s main airport in a stolen car and then drove against traffic.

After receiving medical attention, he was transferred to the police for questioning. He was in the country illegally.

During the incident, travelers at Terminal 3 were asked to lie down and take cover as a precaution.

Ziv Hait, a representative of Israir Airlines who was in the terminal during the incident, told Channel 12 that at around 6 a.m. they heard instructions for everyone in the terminal to lie down “due to some kind of security incident.”

Israeli officials believe the suspect may have taken a wrong turn off the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, sabotaging his getaway as he entered one of the country’s most guarded facilities.

“It happens almost every week,” Reuters quoted a police spokesperson as saying.

USDA launches webpage listing kosher foods available to communities in need

(JNS) — After a year of advocating alongside multiple partners, The Jewish Federations of North America warmly welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to create a webpage listing kosher foods in The Emergency Food Assistance Program.

In September 2021, Jewish and Muslim members of Congress sent a letter to the USDA urging the department to expand options for kosher and halal food. The USDA subsequently invited faith institutions to discuss the dietary needs of their communities and then met with JFNA’s public affairs team.

These efforts led to an announcement that, beginning in January 2023, the USDA will increase the available kosher food products under its TEFAP program by 50 percent.

TEFAP, a federal program providing surplus food to food banks, recently launched a new website that lists kosher items and gives guidance and information on kashrut guidelines.

White House to hold roundtable in response to growing antisemitism

(JNS) — The White House will host Jewish leaders for a roundtable discussion on antisemitism later this week, with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff (who is Jewish) as the host.

White House Jewish Liaison Shelly Greenspan sent the invitation for the roundtable, which will also include White House Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt and Senior Advisor to the President for Public Engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Emhoff tweeted on Friday, “Perpetuating lies, such as the denial of the Holocaust, and praising fascist murderers, is dangerous and fans the flames of antisemitism and hate. We all have an obligation to condemn these vile acts. We must not stay silent.”

The White House roundtable follows a surge of anti-Jewish harassment and physical attacks. According to data published by the Anti-Defamation League, 2021 saw the highest number of documented reports of harassment and violence towards Jews of any year since 1979, when ADL started tracking such cases.

Antisemitic rhetoric has become increasingly volatile in recent months— particularly with the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, making a series of comments attacking Jews and praising Hitler.

New York Times walks back false report on Gaza fishing industry

(JNS) — The New York Times has published an editor’s note correcting its false report that Gaza’s fishing industry is on the verge of collapse due to an Israeli blockade of the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave.

Using official Palestinian statistics, the media watchdog group Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America proved to the Times that the claim is false. CAMERA provided information indicating that the fishermen have more than doubled their annual catch in the last 15 years. In addition, the number of registered fishing boats has also more than doubled, according to Tamar Sternthal, director of CAMERA’s Israel’s office.

In a Nov. 27 article, “Amid Israeli Blockade on Gaza a Fishing Fleet Limps Along,” Times correspondent Raja Abdulrahim claimed the Israeli blockade has been “devastating for the Gaza Strip’s fishing industry.”

But CAMERA refuted the claim and provided the Times with research data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics disproving the false statement.

On Dec. 3, the Times printed the editor’s note acknowledging the article omitted important context, leaving the impression that the industry has been devastated. “The current catch is higher than that in the early years of the blockade,” the note reads.

Iran breaks ground on new nuclear plant

(JNS) — Iran started construction on Saturday on a new nuclear power plant in the country’s southwest, the Associated Press reported.

The 300-megawatt plant, known as Karoon, will reportedly take eight years to build at a cost of some $2 billion.

Iran currently has one operational nuclear power plant outside the southern port of Bushehr, which went online in 2011 with help from Russia, in addition to numerous underground facilities.

The development comes just 10 days after Iran began enriching uranium to 60 percent at its Fordow installation, which is located deep within a mountain.

At the time, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, head of the Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence Directorate, said that Tehran would soon start enriching at least a “symbolic” amount of uranium to weapons-grade 90%, although he added that it was unlikely to make a dash for the bomb.

Haliva warned that Tehran had made “significant progress” on its nuclear program and that the international community would soon face its “greatest test” in preventing the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear bombs.

Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official IRNA news agency reported late Saturday that the regime had “closed” the country’s morality police force.

Iran has been rocked by nationwide protests that erupted following the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini in police custody over an alleged violation of the Islamic dress code.

Hillary Clinton: I would not be negotiating with Tehran

(JNS) — With protests erupting throughout Iran following the beating death in custody of Mahsa Amimi, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States should not negotiate with Iran.

“I would not be negotiating with Iran on anything right now, including the nuclear agreement,” Clinton told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Thursday.

Several months of deadly protests followed the death of Amimi, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who was arrested by the Islamic Republic’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab “correctly.”

These protests, along with Iran’s continued military cooperation with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, have brought negotiations to a halt. Clinton also blamed former President Donald Trump for withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal.

“When Trump pulled us out,” Clinton said, “we lost the eyes that we had on what they were doing inside Iran. And I believe that they started those centrifuges spinning again.”

Clinton’s remarks follow comments made in October by Washington’s Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley, who said that the U.S. would not “waste our time” on nuclear talks with Iran. This view was echoed by State Department Spokesman Ned Price and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“We will not accept a bad deal, the response that they’ve given to the last proposals put forward by our European partners has been a very significant step backwards,” Blinken said on CBS‘s “60 Minutes.”

Israel observes its first UAE National Day

(JNS) — In the latest milestone for the Abraham Accords, Thursday marked the first observance of UAE National Day in Israel.

On Dec. 2 each year, the UAE—which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, along with Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco—celebrates the union of its seven emirates under the leadership of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1971.

“We are here as Emiratis to show that unity equals prosperity. When seven emirates, scattered and weak, struggling to exist, decided to unite 51 years ago, it created nothing short of a miracle,” UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja said on Thursday at the UAE National Day reception in Tel Aviv.

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu said at the event that the Abraham Accords “are not only a paper peace between governments” but also “a warm peace between our people, a true peace of goodwill, mutual respect, friendship, moderation and tolerance.”

“The peace treaty, whose fruits are now visible to all, has strengthened security, cooperation and stability in our region,” Netanyahu said.

Nefesh B’Nefesh and Friends of the IDF host annual ‘Errands Day’ for Lone Soldiers

(JNS) — Nefesh B’Nefesh and Friends of the IDF hosted their annual “Personal Errands Day” for lone soldiers in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

The event, in cooperation with the IDF Human Resources Department and Yahad (“United for Israel’s Soldiers”), brought together more than 40 different government ministries and organizations to create a one-day, one-stop shop for all the services soldiers without family in the country might need during their services.

Those services included issuing biometric passports, converting foreign driver’s licenses, issuing IDs, confirming foreign degrees, legal advice, individual housing assistance and more.

“We applaud the brave young men and women who made aliyah on their own and subsequently are serving in the IDF, and we will continue to support them in every way possible,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B’Nefesh.

In attendance were 2,500 active lone soldiers from 70 countries, representatives from various ministries and senior IDF commanders.

Steve Weil, CEO of FIDF, said, “Military service is difficult and complicated for every soldier, and even more so for lone soldiers. Their decision to enlist in the IDF—many from overseas—is a courageous and noble act, one that is rooted in a deep sense of mission, selflessness, and Zionism.”

Thursday’s event marked the eighth annual Yom Siddurim (or “Personal Errands Day”). It was the finale to the IDF’s “Lone Soldier Appreciation Week,” saluting those serving in the Israeli army without family support, mainly new immigrants, but orphans and others as well.

Tel Aviv drops from first to third most expensive city

(JNS) — Tel Aviv is no longer the most expensive city in the world, dropping from first place last year to third in the 2022 Worldwide Cost of Living Index, released on Wednesday by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

New York City and Singapore shared the top spot, with Hong Kong and Los Angeles tying for fourth place. Zurich, Geneva, San Francisco, Paris and Copenhagen placed five through 10, respectively.

The index is compiled by comparing prices in U.S. dollars for goods and services in 172 major cities around the world, with data showing that average cost of living in those places jumping by 8.1 percent compared to 2021.

“The war in Ukraine, Western sanctions on Russia and China’s zero-Covid policies have caused supply-chain problems that, combined with rising interest rates and exchange-rate shifts, have resulted in a cost-of-living crisis across the world,” Upasana Dutt, head of worldwide cost of living at EIU, said in a media statement.

She added: “We can clearly see the impact in this year’s index, with the average price rise across the 172 cities in our survey being the strongest we’ve seen in the 20 years for which we have digital data. The rise in petrol prices in cities was particularly strong (as it was last year), but food, utilities and household goods are all getting more expensive for city-dwellers.”

Thomas Friedman tours Hebron’s Jewish community

(JNS) — New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and Opinion Editor Kathleen Kingsbury visited Hebron on Thursday, hosted by Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the city’s Jewish community.

“It is obvious that we disagree about many things; nevertheless, I enjoyed spending time with our visitors. I believe that the tour was enlightening and that they now better understand our narrative,” Fleisher told Arutz Sheva.

Their stops included the Beit Menachem overlook in the Tel Rumeda neighborhood, which is linked with the biblical city of Hebron.

“The left never bring visitors to this location,” Fleisher said. “From here, you can see that the [Jews] live on one defended street, within a giant and thriving Arab city, most of which Jews are barred from going into—this is, in fact, a Jewish ghetto.”

Bipartisan slate of 125 lawmakers call for ‘whole of government’ approach to combating antisemitism

By Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON (JTA) — A bipartisan slate of 125 lawmakers from both chambers are calling on the Biden administration to adopt a “whole of government” policy to combating antisemitism.

A letter sent to President Joe Biden, spearheaded by the chairmen of congressional task forces for combating antisemitism, called for action from officials from an array of agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the State Department, the White House, the Department of Education and the U.S. HoloFridaycaust Memorial Museum.

The letter pushes for the creation of “an interagency task force led by an official at the Assistant Secretary rank or higher,” and it cites an FBI report saying there was a 6 percent rise in antisemitic hate crimes in 2020.

“Because many individual agencies play a critical role in combating antisemitism, closer coordination is needed to share best practices, data, and intelligence; identify gaps in efforts; streamline overlapping activities and roles; and execute a unified national strategy,” the letter said.

The chairs of the task force in the U.S. House of Representatives are Kathy Manning, a Jewish Democrat from North Carolina, and Chris Smith, a New Jersey Democrat. The chairs in the Senate are Jacky Rosen, a Jewish Democrat from Nevada, and James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican.

Arab arrested after attacking Jewish visitor to Temple Mount

(JNS) — An Arab man was arrested on Tuesday after attacking a Jewish visitor on the Temple Mount plaza in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The victim, who wished to remain anonymous said, “I stood a little further away from the rest of the group and signaled to the policemen to let them know I was far away. While I was signaling the policemen I felt someone coming up from behind me, grab me, and try to strangle me. I fell to the ground and was released.”

Roei Zaga, a guide from Beyadenu, a student group that promotes Jewish ties to the site, who accompanied the visitors, said, “We were on the western part of the Mount. Suddenly, I saw the policemen running. I turned around and saw them taking down a large Arab man with the … pilgrim standing next to them, his glasses broken and shirt ripped.”

Tom Nisani, CEO of Beyadenu, said that “the Arabs who roam freely on the Temple Mount compared to the restricted groups of Jews encourage the Arabs to feel like the owners of the Temple Mount.

“There must be a decisive and immediate change in the Israeli government’s attitude regarding the Temple Mount to prevent such incidents. Kudos to the policemen who responded quickly in the area and acted … to maintain order and security. Now it must be ensured that the terrorist goes to prison for a long time.”