September 23, 2018 Norwegian Paper Publishes Blatantly Anti-Semitic Cartoon On August 7th, a Norwegian newspaper, Dagbladet, published an extremely anti-Semitic cartoon, prompting Israel’s ambassador to Norway to demand the removal of the image and apologize. The cartoon depicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose body is in the shape of a swastika, punching a Druze Israeli off of a “whites only” bench. Anti-Semitism Blog
September 23, 2018 US Announces Plan to Defund UNRWA On Friday, August 31st the State Department announced its plan to completely defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, better known as UNRWA. The US decision is part of a larger protest against the agency, which has been blamed repeatedly for perpetuating the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Former Israeli Ambassador to the […] Blog
August 22, 2018 British Labour Party Faces Backlash Over Definition of Anti-Semitism The British Labour Party has encountered a storm of criticism following its decision to adopt a diluted definition of anti-Semitism. The definition of anti-Semitism adopted by the Labour Party is based upon the IHRA definition, but omits references to Israel. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
August 14, 2018 Senate Introduces Bipartisan Bill Banning Use of Human Shields On July 24, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced a bipartisan bill that would sanction those engaging in and supporting the use of “human shields,” which refers to the placing of non-combatants around combatants to deter enemy attack, therefore putting countless civilian lives at risk. This despicable act has been utilized by a number of terror groups against the United States and Israel, with some of the most violent offenders including Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, and the Islamic State. The bill, known as the ‘STOP Using Human Shields Act,’ enjoys support from those on both sides of the aisle. Anti-Zionism Blog
August 8, 2018 Call for Papers: Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism The following Call for Papers on the changing manifestations of antisemitism, recently received by the Louis D. Brandeis Center, may be of interest to some of our readers: Academic Studies Press (ASP) is currently inviting submissions for the next issue of the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, which is due for publication in Spring 2019. Anti-Semitism Blog
August 8, 2018 Stanford University Student Steps Down As RA After Criticism Generated By Anti-Semitic Post On August 1, the Brandeis Center’s President Alyza Lewin and Director of Legal Initiatives Aviva Vogelstein sent a letter to Stanford University President, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, urging him to address a threatening, anti-Semitic Facebook post by a current Stanford student who is scheduled to be a Resident Assistant (RA) this upcoming year. Anti-Semitism Blog
August 6, 2018 Department of Justice Hosts Religious Liberty Summit On July 30th, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) hosted a religious liberty summit, “Religious Liberty: Our First Freedom and Why it Matters.” Blog
July 26, 2018 Austrian Freedom Party Proposes Jewish Registries for Kosher Food The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) proposed a plan that would require Jews to add their name to a government registry in order to be allowed to purchase kosher meat. The same rules would apply to Muslims who intend to purchase halal meat. Anti-Semitism Blog
July 26, 2018 Congress Introduces Bill Banning Boycotts of Countries Friendly to U.S. On June 13, a bill banning the boycotting of countries friendly to the United States was introduced in the House of Representatives. The Export Administration Anti-Discrimination Act (EAADA), or H.R. 6095, was introduced by Ron Desantis (FL-06) and co-sponsored with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06). Anti-Zionism Blog
July 26, 2018 Israel Passes Jewish Nation-State Law On Thursday, July 19th, the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, passed a law declaring Israel to be a Jewish nation-state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition praised the move as “historic”, but it has also garnered significant controversy. Blog