Weekly roundup of world briefs

Israeli man killed in shooting as West Bank violence continues

(JTA) — An Israeli man was killed in a terror attack on Tuesday in the northern West Bank, the latest in a string of violent incidents in the territory this year.

The Israel was identified as Meir Tamari, 32, a resident of the nearby settlement of Hermesh. He was shot while driving on a road close to the settlement and was treated by medics before his death was confirmed. Israeli forces have closed off roads in the area in order to find the attacker.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack. The brigade is tied to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party and is designated as a terror group by the United States.

Since the beginning of the year, 20 Israelis and more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, according to the Times of Israel. On Monday, a Palestinian intelligence officer, Ashraf Ibrahim, 37, was killed during an Israeli arrest raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and that night, Palestinian gunmen shot at an Israeli military ambulance near the settlement of Kiryat Arba in the southern West Bank.

Haley slammed the White House strategy to combat antisemitism.

(JNS) — “Joe Biden is pandering to the radical left and siding with Israel’s enemies,” Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley tweeted on May 26. “It’s shameful.”

The former South Carolina governor and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations shared a New York Post article about Jewish groups being “extremely disturbed” by the White House strategy to combat antisemitism, which the Biden administration announced on May 25, the eve of Shavuot.

“Antisemitism is not hard to define if you’re serious about stopping it,” Haley posted.

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and a presidential candidate, did not comment on Twitter about the White House strategy. Nor did presidential candidates Tim Scott, a South Carolina senator, and Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur.

Alliance of Orthodox rabbis calls for immediate release of Evan Gershkovich

By Ben Sales

(JTA) — An umbrella association of American Orthodox rabbis is calling on the Russian government to release Evan Gershkovich, the imprisoned Jewish reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

The Rabbinical Alliance of America said in a statement on Sunday that Russia should “do immediate justice by releasing Evan Gershkovich.” The alliance, also known as the Igud HaRabbonim, says it represents more than 950 Orthodox rabbis, and makes frequent statements on public affairs in the U.S. and Israel.

Gershkovich, 31, who is the son of Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, was arrested two months ago and charged with espionage, an accusation he, the Wall Street Journal and the United States government deny. Last week, his pretrial detention was extended until the end of August, and he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in a penal colony.

“As Americans, we condemn how our fellow citizen, Evan Gershkovich, has been unlawfully arrested and detained by Russian officials,” read a statement by the group’s executive vice president, Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik. “As Jews, we are offended by the apparent resurgence of governmental Russian antisemitism. As rabbis, we protest this injustice and demand that Russia does the just, moral thing and immediately frees Evan Gershkovich so he can safely return to his family.”

Jews in America and around the world have taken action to support Gershkovich since his arrest, with some reviving practices that recalled the movement to free Soviet Jewry during the Cold War. Earlier this month, the Jewish Federations of North America held a rally calling for his freedom.

Israel’s men’s soccer team reaches the under-20 World Cup quarterfinals with another last-minute goal

By Juan Melamed

BUENOS AIRES (JTA) — After a thrilling 1-0 victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday, the Israeli under-20 national soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.

Israeli-Arab forward Anan Khalaili scored the winning goal in the penultimate 97th minute at Malvinas Argentinas Stadium in the Mendoza province, roughly 700 miles west of Buenos Aires. The crowd of 10,492 fans included a loud presence from the local Jewish community and Israeli visitors.

The win follows Israel’s similarly dramatic victory over Japan — which Israel manager Ofir Haim called “the biggest win in the history of Israeli soccer.”

“It’s a dream for us to be here,” midfielder El Yam Kancepolsky told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency prior to the tournament. “I’m very proud to represent Israel in a World Cup, it is a huge dream.”

With the quarterfinals on Saturday, that dream remains alive for Israel, which has won two straight after a loss to Colombia and a draw against Senegal to open the competition.

Israel will face powerhouse Brazil in the quarterfinals Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET. The U.S. team, which features Jewish MLS player Daniel Edelman, is also among the final eight teams remaining.

Sbarro bombing victim dies after 22 years in a coma

The passing of Chana Nachenberg, 52, brings the death toll from the 2001 bombing to 16; some 130 people were wounded.

(JNS) — Chana Nachenberg, wounded in the 2001 Sbarro suicide bombing in Jerusalem, died on Wednesday in Tel Aviv. She was 52.

The New York-born Nachenberg had been in a vegetative state for 22 years since the attack, which took the lives of 15 civilians, including seven children, and wounded some 130 others. Nachenberg’s passing brings the death toll to 16.

The Sbarro pizzeria was located at one of the busiest intersections in downtown Jerusalem, on the corner of King George and Jaffa streets. On Aug. 9, 2001, the day of the bombing, Nachenberg was there with relatives from Riverdale, New York, and her two-year-old daughter, who was also injured in the blast. 

In 2021, her daughter, Sarah Shalev, told JNS that during her teenage years it was so difficult for her to see her mother that she didn’t go to the hospital to visit. Sarah often had to leave her friends’ bat mitzvah celebrations, and later, their weddings, overwhelmed by the fact that her mother would never celebrate those events with her. Even fireworks and bonfires were at times a source of trauma.

The terrorists responsible for the attack continue to be rewarded by the Palestinian Authority, which allots $7,321 monthly to them and their families, according to a 2019 report by Palestinian Media Watch. 

Bombmaker Abdullah Barghouti had collected $213,848 as of the report’s publication. The family of the suicide bomber, Izz al-Din al-Masri, also received payments. 

Ahlam Tamimi, handsomely rewarded for planning the attack, was released from prison as part of a 2011 prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. She then fled to Jordan.

Tamimi is on America’s “Most Wanted Terrorist” list as two of the victims were U.S. citizens: Malka Roth, 15, and Shoshana Yehudit Greenbaum, 31. However, the United States has been unable to secure her extradition as a 1995 extradition agreement was not ratified by Jordan’s government.

Alliance of Orthodox rabbis calls for immediate release of Evan Gershkovich

By Ben Sales

(JTA) — An umbrella association of American Orthodox rabbis is calling on the Russian government to release Evan Gershkovich, the imprisoned Jewish reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

The Rabbinical Alliance of America said in a statement on Sunday that Russia should “do immediate justice by releasing Evan Gershkovich.” The alliance, also known as the Igud HaRabbonim, says it represents more than 950 Orthodox rabbis, and makes frequent statements on public affairs in the U.S. and Israel.

Gershkovich, 31, who is the son of Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, was arrested two months ago and charged with espionage, an accusation he, the Wall Street Journal and the United States government deny. Last week, his pretrial detention was extended until the end of August, and he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in a penal colony.

“As Americans, we condemn how our fellow citizen, Evan Gershkovich, has been unlawfully arrested and detained by Russian officials,” read a statement by the group’s executive vice president, Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik. “As Jews, we are offended by the apparent resurgence of governmental Russian antisemitism. As rabbis, we protest this injustice and demand that Russia does the just, moral thing and immediately frees Evan Gershkovich so he can safely return to his family.”

Jews in America and around the world have taken action to support Gershkovich since his arrest, with some reviving practices that recalled the movement to free Soviet Jewry during the Cold War. Earlier this month, the Jewish Federations of North America held a rally calling for his freedom.

Israel marks Independence Day in Bahrain

(JNS) — The Embassy of Israel to the Kingdom of Bahrain marked Israel’s 75th anniversary on Wednesday night with a gala event in Manama.

The Israeli Independence Day reception in Bahrain’s capital follows the landmark 2020 Abraham Accords which saw four Arab countries, including the Gulf Kingdom, normalize relations with Israel.  

The government of Bahrain was represented at the event by Minister of Industry and Commerce Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro. The guest list included additional government officials, members of the academia and entrepreneurs.

The diplomatic reception featured an exhibition of photos taken by the Bahraini youth delegation that visited Israel last year.

Israeli Ambassador to Bahrain Eitan Na’eh emphasized the importance of the growing cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors and ties between their young generations.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Bahrain last year on an official state visit.

Amnesty International board member denies Israel’s existence

(JNS) — Just days before joining Amnesty International’s Board—an organization that claims it is dedicated to advocating for human rights—Rasha Abdel Latif shared a message on social media honoring a terrorist who attacked civilians in Tel Aviv.

A new report from the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting collects various statements made or shared by Latif. Notably, in 2013 she tweeted: “There is nothing called ‘Israel,’ it is ‘Palestine territory.’ ”

Latif, a director at Partners Global, also shared a post in 2021 celebrating the escape of Palestinian terrorists from prison. Latif retweeted a comment by Nour Odehthat said “This is not the first escape but the scale, timing and context is historic & the impact is impossible to understate. Palestinian will is unbreakable.”

More recently, Latif has advocated on behalf of the indiscriminate rocket-firing that even Amnesty admits constitutes war crimes.

Rasha was previously named a “40 Under 40” honoree by the Arab American Foundation. She earned a community organizing certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School.

This review of Latif’s public statements follows a previous report from CAMERA debunking falsehoods in one of Amnesty’s videos. 

Two Jewish conservatives launch ‘Jews Against Soros’ website

(JNS) — The recent incident featuring Twitter owner Elon Musk comparing nonagenarian financier and philanthropist George Soros to the supervillain Magneto again opened debate about where legitimate ideological criticism of the prolific political funder ends and antisemitic hate begins.

Now, two Jewish conservatives have launched a grassroots initiative to clarify. 

Newsweek senior editor-at-large Josh Hammer and Missouri Attorney General candidate Will Scharf have launched “Jews Against Soros.”

Their new website says: “There is nothing antisemitic about identifying the many ways that George Soros and his network of organizations fund the radical left. Leftism isn’t Judaism, and being anti-leftist is not the same as being Antisemitic. Period.” 

The site then lays out the 92-year-old Hungarian Holocaust survivor’s history of funding political activism, including support of the anti-Israel BDS movement.

Hammer tweeted: “Soros has dedicated his life to fomenting American anarchism, undermining Israel’s territorial integrity, and destabilizing Western nation-states more generally.”

Scharf told The Daily Caller, “We plan to build a grassroots army of Jews committed to standing up against Soros and his brand of leftism.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. affirms: ‘I support Israel’

(JNS) — At a press conference on Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took a question regarding antisemitic musician Roger Waters and his own overall position on Israel.

Independent podcast co-host Craig Pasta Jardula asked Kennedy: “A couple tweets were put up in support of Roger Waters and then taken down. You want to give us a little explanation of why they were taken down and also your stance on Israel and Palestine?”

Kennedy responded: “I made the tweet applauding Roger Waters’ courage in opposing the Covid mandates and the Ukraine war. I was unaware of his position on Israel. And when I learned that I immediately took it down.”

Then discussing his stance on Israel more broadly, Kennedy said: “I support Israel. My family has a long relationship with Israel and supporting its right to exist and its right to protect its security.”

Jardula followed up: “And the Palestinians?”

Kennedy replied: “And a humane outcome and a recognition ultimately of the aspirations of the Palestinian people is important for everybody.”

Israeli, US national security advisors meet at the White House

(JNS) —  Jake Sullivan, national security advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, hosted Tzachi Hanegbi, his Israeli counterpart, and Ron Dermer, minister of strategic affairs, at the White House on June 1 “to discuss a broad range of global and regional issues of mutual concern,” per a White House readout.

The meeting was a follow-up on a March 6 meeting of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group, per the White House. The Israeli and U.S. officials “continued discussions on enhanced coordination to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and ways to counter threats from Iran and its proxies.”

According to the White House, Sullivan also reaffirmed Washington’s goal “of further enhancing Israel’s security and economic integration throughout the Middle East” and “stressed the need to take additional steps to improve the lives of Palestinians, critical to realizing a more peaceful, prosperous, and integrated region.”

The U.S. official also addressed shared concerns “with Russia’s deepening military relationship with Iran and the importance of supporting Ukraine in the defense of its territory and citizenry, including from Iranian drones.”

Jacob Nagel, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former national security advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warned ahead of the meeting that “Israel must not be confused about the priorities of what should be presented during the talks.”

While reaching a deal with Saudi Arabia is important, the Israeli officials should make clear to U.S. counterparts that “preventing a bad agreement regarding the Iranian nuclear program has not been relegated to second priority after reaching a deal with Saudi Arabia,” he wrote.

Blinken, Jill Biden to skip Israel trips

(JNS) — On an upcoming trip to the Middle East and North Africa, Jill Biden, the U.S. first lady, will visit Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Portugal, but not Israel. And Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, reportedly scrapped a planned trip to Israel, according to news reports.

“The Biden administration appears to be isolating Israel as a way to exert leverage within internal domestic Israeli politics, and over Israel’s policy on Iran and the Palestinians,” Breitbart reported.

On June 1, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement, which stated in part, “I have heard all of the reports about Iran. I have a sharp and clear message for both Iran and the international community: Israel will do whatever it needs to do to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”

The first lady “is expected to attend the wedding of the Jordanian Crown Prince—an unelected monarch whose country is majority Palestinian—as part of her visit. But she will skip the region’s only true democratic nation,” Joel Pollak reported in Breitbart.

“The Biden administration has refused to engage directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who won Israel’s elections last November but has yet to receive a customary White House invitation,” Pollak added. “The Biden administration appears to be isolating Israel as a way to exert leverage within internal domestic Israeli politics, and over Israel’s policy on Iran and the Palestinians.”