February 11, 2014 First Amendment Experts Debate Anti-BDS Bill Can Congress withhold funds from universities that adopt anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) policies? Two widely respected First Amendment experts disagree. Floyd Abrams, a leading First Amendment practitioner, argues that the new Roskam-Lapinski Bill is unconstitutional. Eugene Volokh, a leading First Amendment scholar at UCLA, disagrees. Readers of the Brandeis Center Blog will remember […] Anti-Zionism Blog
February 10, 2014 Symposium at U.K. Parliament Examines European Anti-Semitism Several important English institutions, including especially the Pears Institute at Birkbeck College London, are bringing public attention to the troubling recent findings of the major survey into antisemitism in Europe carried out by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). These groups will conduct a symposium at the House of Commons on the afternoon of Tuesday March 18 to consider […] Anti-Semitism Blog
February 10, 2014 Jewish Prisoners’ Kosher Food Case Successfully Resolved in Florida It is good to see the successful resolution today of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty’s lawsuit establishing the right of Florida prison inmates to kosher food. Earlier today, Bruch Rich, an Orthodox Jewish Florida prisoner, withdrew his four-year-old complaint seeking a kosher diet, as a result of a a recent court order that requires […] Litigation
February 10, 2014 LDB Congratulates ADL’s Abraham Foxman Upon His Retirement JTA is announcing Abraham Foxman’s retirement from the Anti-Defamation League. His departure comes at a delicate time as anti-Semitism continues to surge around the world and on many American college and university campuses. LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus congratulates Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League’s longtime national director, upon his upcoming retirement. “Mr. Foxman has had […] Anti-Semitism Blog
February 9, 2014 Introducing BICOM and Fathom: working to provide a more supportive environment for Israel in Britain BICOM, the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, is an independent British organisation dedicated to providing a more supportive environment for Israel in Britain. BICOM pursues its objectives through a range of activities, one of which is the publication of the quarterly Fathom journal under the editorship of Professor Alan Johnson. With its aim stated […] Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
February 9, 2014 British High Court Denies Ahava Boycotters’ Appeal Various news outlets are reporting that England’s high court has denied an appeal by the four anti-Israel protesters who had been convicted for trespassing inside a London branch of Ahava, the Israeli cosmetics company. The four had been convicted in 2011 of illegal trespassing for chaining themselves to a concrete block in an Ahava store in […] Blog
February 7, 2014 Roskam & Lipinski Introduce Federal Anti-Boycott Legislation Yesterday Congressmen Peter Roskam and Dan Lipinski introduced anti-boycott legislation to prevent academic boycotts against the State of Israel. This bill would supplement existing federal and state anti-boycott statutes that were passed decades ago in response to the Arab boycott of Israel. Specifically, this bill would block federal funding for universities that engage in anti-Israel boycotts. Rep. Roskam’s […] Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
February 7, 2014 Jeff Robbins on Scarlett Johansson and the Anti-Israel Crowd Boston attorney Jeffrey S. Robbins has a great new piece on Scarlett Johansson in the Boston Herald today. It begins like this: Scarlett Johansson takes on anti-Israel crowd In front of the SodaStream plant just outside Jerusalem there is a statue that contains the prophet Isaiah’s exhortation: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, […] Anti-Zionism Blog
February 6, 2014 Civil Rights Hero Irwin Cotler to Step Down from Canadian Parliament The Brandeis Center congratulates former Canadian Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler for his distinguished service to Canada and the world upon the announcement that Cotler would not seek reelection to the Canadian parliament. Cotler is Honorary Chair of the Brandeis Center’s Academic Advisory Board. LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus commented, “Irwin Cotler is truly a living legend in human rights law, and […] Blog
February 5, 2014 News from London Our friends at UK Lawyers for Israel have just issued another impressive newsletter chock-full of interesting information (UKLFI Bulletin No. 62) under the leadership of Jonathan D. C. Turner. Several highlights from the current Bulletin appear below: UKLFI BULLETIN NO. 62 Hope University Liverpool allows the truth to be told Mike Fryer of Christians for […] Anti-Zionism Blog