Weekly roundup of world briefs

Rock star Alanis Morissette uncovers her family’s Holocaust history on PBS’ ‘Finding Your Roots’

By Jacob Gurvis

(JTA) — Seven-time Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette explores her family’s Jewish past, which she said was kept a secret from her for most of her life, on Tuesday night’s season premiere of the PBS celebrity genealogy series “Finding Your Roots.”

“I think I found out that I was Jewish in my late 20s. I didn’t know,” Morissette tells host and Harvard University history professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. in the episode, a snippet of which was shared exclusively with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Morissette, 49, was raised Catholic and is now a practicing Buddhist. But her mother, Georgia Mary Ann Feuerstein, was born in Hungary to two Holocaust survivor parents, Imre Feuerstein and Nadinia Anna Lauscher/Gulyas.

As Gates explains, the family’s experience in the Holocaust was so traumatic that they kept their Jewishness a secret for many years.

“I think there was a terror that is in their bones and they were being protective of us and just not wanting antisemitism,” Morissette says. “So they were doing it to protect us, sort of keeping us in the dark around it.”

Israel to fund network reception in bomb shelters

(JNS) — Israel’s Communications Ministry announced on Tuesday that it will fund communications infrastructure for nearly 4,000 public shelters in 65 border-area local authorities.

The funding, to provide network reception for shelters within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of a border or within Judea and Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank, will include cities such as Tiberias, Karmiel, Nahariya and Ashkelon.

“Israel is [in a] war that will be here for many days to come,” said Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi in a written statement. “Communications services in public shelters are an essential need both on a day to day basis and certainly during emergencies.”

Last month, a prominent Christian evangelical organization in Jerusalem announced it had renovated 140 underground bomb shelters in the Upper Galilee as Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon continued for the third straight month.

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem funded the $775,000 project, refurbishing 73 shelters in the town of Shlomi and 67 in the city of Ma’alot-Tarshiha, both near the northern border.

The shelters had fallen into disrepair since they were last used during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, with deficiencies including a lack of proper lighting, ventilation and plumbing.

Hamas welcomed in the new year by launching a wave of rockets towards southern and central Israel.

More than 20 rockets were launched at Israeli population centers just a few minutes after midnight on Monday, sending millions of people racing for shelter.

Two missiles from Lebanon crash into Shlomi

(JNS) — Two Hezbollah anti-tank missiles hit in the Western Galilee border town of Shlomi on Tuesday morning. One projectile exploded close to an apartment building, causing property damage.

Mayor Gabi Naaman said that there were no casualties from the attack

“The shooting this morning illustrates the great danger in the current situation for the residents of Shlomi. We will not agree to live in this situation in any way,” Ynet quoted Naaman as saying.

Meanwhile, the IDF updated on Tuesday morning that air force fighter jets attacked Hezbollah terrorist targets in the village of Yaroun in Southern Lebanon, where members of the Iranian proxy were operating.

On Monday night, the IDF attacked Hezbollah infrastructure where earlier in the afternoon the terrorist group fired rockets towards the area of Kibbutz Adamit on the border with Lebanon, lightly wounding five Israeli reserve soldiers.

The wounded soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for treatment and their families were informed, IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari added in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Hezbollah has been waging a low-intensity conflict against Israel since Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 persons in the northwestern Negev.

Most Israelis oppose US demand to weaken Gaza fight

(JNS) — A large majority of Israelis are against acceding to American demands to shift to a less intensive phase of the war against Hamas in Gaza, a survey published by the Israel Democracy Institute shows.

Sixty-six percent of respondents reject the Biden administration’s calls to change the IDF’s strategy to one that “reduces the heavy bombing of densely populated areas.”

When broken down by ethnicity and political affiliation, 75 percent of Jewish Israelis oppose the change, including 72 percent of Jews in the political center and 87 percent of right-wing Jews.

In contrast, 56 percent of Arab Israelis and 57 percent of left-wing Jewish Israelis believe that Israel should shift the war to a more targeted strategy as President Joe Biden demands.

When asked who they would like to see as prime minister after the war, 30.5 percent of respondents said that they did not know, chose not to respond or replied “no one.”

Of those that did give a name, National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz was the top choice at 23 percent, followed by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with 15 percent support, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at 6.5 percent, Yesh Atid Party head Yair Lapid at 6.2 percent, and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir at 1.5 percent.

Among respondents who voted for Netanyahu’s Likud Party in the last election, only 36 percent said that they would like to see him continue as prime minister. Just 28 percent of Jewish Israelis and 12% of Arab Israelis believe that Netanyahu will keep his current coalition together after the war.

IDF reservists demand the Gaza offensive continue till victory

(JNS) — About 50 Israel Defense Forces reservists gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on Tuesday to demand that the fighting in Gaza not stop until Hamas is defeated.

Government ministers and members of Knesset joined the reservists at the protest site, including Education Minister Yoav Kisch, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli and lawmakers Hanoch Milwidsky, Danny Danon and Moshe Saada of the Likud Party and Yitzhak Kreuzer of Otzma Yehudit.

They called on all reservists released from the Gaza Division to join them at the Jerusalem protest “with equipment and to sleep here with us.”

The reservists are calling for a clear policy regarding the Gaza Strip that includes encouraging the voluntary migration of some of the coastal enclave’s residents and transferring a significant amount of Gaza territory to Israeli control.

A large majority of Israelis oppose acceding to U.S. demands to shift to a less intensive phase of the war against Hamas in Gaza, a survey published by the Israel Democracy Institute shows.

Sixty-six percent of respondents reject the Biden administration’s calls to change the IDF’s strategy to one that “reduces the heavy bombing of densely populated areas.”

When broken down by ethnicity and political affiliation, 75 percent of Jewish Israelis oppose the change, including 72 percent of Jews in the political center and 87 percent of right-wing Jews.

FBI said to be investigating balloons over JFK airport amid anti-Israel protests

(JNS) — “If anyone is flying out of JFK Airport today, please plan to travel to the airport ahead of time. There are planned protests today and will cause delays,” Philip Rivera, the NYPD chief of transportation, wrote around 1 p.m. on Jan. 1. “We don’t want anyone to miss their flights! Safe travels and Happy New Year.”

The post received angry responses demanding that the police do its job and remove the protesters. Many asked if the protesters had obtained a permit for the disruption, which ended up delaying 60 flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, N.Y.

“If the protesters can plan, so can the people who are paid to keep transportation arteries open,” wrote Matt Welch, editor at large at Reason magazine.

Melissa Weiss, executive editor of Jewish Insider who lives in Israel, wrote: “Ironic that the people who tell me to ‘go back to Brooklyn’ are the ones making it impossible to get there.”

Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. secretary of transportation who has often commented on airline delays, did not post about the anti-Israel protesters delaying air travel.

The “Flood JFK for Gaza” protest—using the same language, “flood,” as Hamas did on Oct. 7—was organized by Within Our Lifetime and included the chant, “NYPD, KKK, IDF you’re all the same” and a sign “Israel has waged a war on the children in Palestine.”

Some of the flight delays were due to crews being unable to arrive on time because of the disruption.

Video footage showed balloons floating above the airport, which is a potential federal crime. A source in law enforcement confirmed the balloons to the New York Post. 

“The FBI is investigating who let the balloons go because they could cause a threat to aviation safety, the source said,” it reported. “It’s unclear if balloons were related to the protest. The Port Authority said it had no information on any balloons and Port Authority police made no arrests.”

“Victory! Port Authority has effectively shut down all entrances to JFK for people without a boarding pass. Airtrain service is closed, and cars cannot get into the terminal without proof of ticket,” Within Our Lifetime posted. “Airport is swarming with law enforcement and organizers were removed from Terminal 4.”

“We are calling on everyone without a car to meet us at the offices of El Al, the Zionist entity’s largest airline, for a protest at 100 Wall Street in Manhattan,” the group added, before announcing a “car caravan” to LaGuardia Airport, also in Queens.

IDF in ‘high state of alert in all arenas,’ says military spokesman

By Yaakov Lappin

(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces is in a “very high state of alert in all arenas,” in defense and offense, and is prepared for any scenario, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated on Tuesday, soon after reports said Hamas deputy political bureau chief Saleh al-Arouri was killedin a blast in a Beirut apartment.

“The most important thing to say this evening is that we remain focused on fighting Hamas. In Gaza, our forces continue to fight, with a focus on Khan Yunis, over and underground, killing terrorists and destroying infrastructure,” said Hagari.

He added that Israel struck targets in Syria in response to an attack on the Golan Heights. Hagari urged Israeli civilians to remain attentive to Home Front Command instructions.

“We have not forgotten for a moment that one of the top national goals is the return of the hostages,” said Hagari.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the IDF has destroyed 12 Hamas battalions in the northern Gaza Strip, speaking during a visit to meet with Israeli forces there.

Speaking from the Salah al-Din road in Gaza that is being used as a humanitarian evacuation corridor, Galant indicated that the war will soon be shifting phases but is far from ending.

“You are on the corridor—the meaning of this is that from both sides of you will soon be actions of a different kind. From the north, we have destroyed 12 battalions of Hamas. It’s not that all the terrorists are dead, but the framework in which someone can lift binoculars, report back, mortars fall and then the [Hamas] commander sends a maneuvering force, it doesn’t exist. There are still terrorists on the order of a few thousand out of 15,000 or 18,000 that were in the sector,” said Galant.

Going forward, this means that in northern Gaza, the IDF will focus on fire strikes, entering areas in a targeted manner and special operations. If necessary, he said, “we will hold for a period of time [when] we will decide in the field. But the goal is to exhaust the enemy, to kill him and to create a reality in which we control the territory.”

Ducking Jan. 10 ‘CNN’ debate, Ramaswamy cites being called ‘one step away from Nazi propaganda’

(JNS) — Vivek Ramaswamy, the 38-year-old technology entrepreneur who is running for president as a Republican, plans to sit out what he calls “CNN’s fake Iowa ‘debate’ on Jan. 10, which will be the most boring in modern history.”

Instead, he plans to be a guest that night on a “live-audience show” in Des Moines, Iowa, with Tim Pool. “Won’t hold back,” Ramaswamy wrote.

He then cited nine items which he referred to as “CNN’s shenanigans.”

“On Dec, 14, CNN notified my campaign that multiple qualifying polls, which the RNC used for each of the RNC debates, mysteriously wouldn’t count for CNN’s fake ‘debate’ in Iowa on Jan. 10,” he wrote. (The Republican National Committee oversees the party’s organization.)

And, he added, “CNN commentator Van Jones said he was ‘literally shaking’ when he heard me speak. And my rhetoric is ‘one step away from Nazi propaganda.’”

North Carolina divests $40 million from Unilever over Ben & Jerry’s Israel boycott

By David Swindle

(JNS) — North Carolina will stop its $40 million investment in Unilever, the parent company of the ice-cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry’s that has banned sales of its products in Judea and Samaria, and parts of Jerusalem.

The state is one of 37 in the country that has a law barring state funds from companies that boycott Israel.

“The events leading up to the divestment of Unilever were avoidable,” Dale Folwell, the state treasurer, told JNS. “Unlike others, we never divest based on threats of boycotts. We were hopeful over the last 12 months that Unilever was going to address the sanctions.”

“They were unable to do so. We don’t pick and choose which laws to apply or follow. We always monitor the need to follow the law going forward,” Folwell said.

“As tragic as the deadly terrorist attack of October was, the situation with Unilever unfolded months, if not years, before then,” he added.

In December, Ben and Jerry’s board chair Anuradha Mittal wrote on social media that “resistance is justified” for occupied people, tagging her post with such anti-Israel slogans as “Free Palestine” and “ceasefire now.”

Michigan announces new Raoul Wallenberg Institute to counter antisemitism

(JNS) — Administrators at the University of Michigan will the launch of a new Raoul Wallenberg Institute on the Ann Arbor campus to focus on antisemitism. It will be geared to collaborate with departments across the university.

Another effort involves the school’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion improving religious inclusion and fostering a greater understanding of multiple faiths on campus.

“We are bringing together leading U of M expertise and diverse perspectives toward a safer and more inclusive world, and even more, a brighter world of peace,” said President Santa J. Ono during a meeting of the Board of Regents.

According to Michigan Hillel, about 14 percent of students who attend the school are Jewish. The nearby Detroit metropolitan area has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the United States, many of whom attend U of M.

Two more schools, three districts under Title VI investigation

(JNS) — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced in that past week that it has opened five new investigations of schools and districts for alleged violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prevents “discrimination involving shared ancestry.”

On Dec. 29, the department began investigating the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and on Jan. 2, it announced investigations of the Seneca School District (Mo.), San Diego State University, Lammersville Unified School District (Mountain House, Calif.) and City Schools of Decatur (Ga.).

In December, the department announced investigations of George Mason University (Fairfax County, Va.); University of North Carolina, whose flagship school is in Chapel Hill; the public-school system in Newark, N.J.; Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (New York City); University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia); and Cornell and Columbia universities in New York state.

In November, it began reviewing Rutgers University (New Jersey); University of California, San Diego; University of Washington (Seattle); Whitman College (Washington state); Stanford University (Calif.); and the University of California, Los Angeles.