A rapper wears an anti-Nazi shirt, but, because the shirt has a swastika, the jews go into their typical hysterics, and get the grovelling apology they crave.
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Quote"I'm sorry to anyone who is offended by me wearing an anti-fascist/anti-regime t-shirt and the use of the symbol it represents. I want you to know I stand firmly against antisemitism and fascism of any kind, something the t-shirt was meant to illustrate with the word "destroy" above the symbol."
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-115/rapper-apologizes-for-wearing-swastika-shirt-at-montreal-music-festival
Oh, dear, what do we have here? Of course, whatever you see, the jews see a swastika, and as soon as they start bitching, everybody has to apologize. <:^0
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Virginia school district apologizes for logo that resembles swastika
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/04/united-states/virginia-school-district-apologizes-for-a-swastika-like-logo
Maybe TIU could collaborate on a Consumer Product, like a Box Fan - with 4 large blades.
Then silk-screen a Swastika on the blades.
Just to upset the Parasites.
Maybe include a history booklet, acknowledging that Hitler & the Nazi's were instrumental in destroying a Gentile wonderland - 1934 Germany, Germany under Hindenburg.
UN investigator apologizes for 'Jewish lobby' remark and other comments deemed antisemitic
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/05/israel/un-investigator-apologizes-for-jewish-lobby-remark-and-other-comments-deemed-antisemitic
A United Nations investigator has apologized for recently using the phrase "Jewish lobby" and suggesting that Israel could lose its U.N. membership, comments that drew widespread condemnation, including from U.S. officials.
Miloon Kothari sent an apology letter on Thursday to Federico Villegas, head of the U.N. Human Rights Council, for statements he made during a podcast interview last week with the anti-Zionist Mondoweiss site.
Kothari is a member of the Human Rights Council's commission to investigate human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinain Territories that was formed following Israel-Gaza violence in the spring of 2021.
In the interview, he said, "We are very disheartened by the social media that is controlled largely by – whether it is the Jewish lobby or specific NGOs, a lot of money is being thrown into trying to discredit us, but the important thing is our mandate is based on international human rights and humanitarian standards and that we are all seeking the truth."
He added that "the Israeli government does not respect its own obligations as a U.N. member state. They, in fact, consistently, either directly or through the United States, try to undermine U.N. mechanisms."
At the time, the head of the commission, Navi Pillay, defended Kothari's comments as being taken out of context. Deborah Lipstadt, the State Department's special envoy on antisemitism, and Michèle Taylor, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council, both condemned Kothari's rhetoric.
"We are outraged by recent antisemitic, anti-Israel comments made by a member of the Israel COI," Taylor tweeted last week.
In his letter sent Thursday, Kothari wrote that "It was completely wrong for me to describe the social media as 'being controlled largely by the Jewish lobby.' This choice of words was incorrect, inappropriate, and insensitive."
Israel, which has refused to participate in the U.N. commission's inquiry, was unsatisfied with Kothari's apology. A deputy director general at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the statement "pitiful" and "unconvincing."
Abbas calls Holocaust the 'most heinous crime' after drawing criticism for accusing Israel of 'Holocausts'
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/18/israel/abbas-calls-holocaust-the-most-heinous-crime-after-drawing-criticism-for-accusing-israel-of-holocausts
Under fire for accusing Israel of "50 Holocausts," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas walked back his statement, calling the Holocaust "the most heinous crime in modern human history."
Abbas released the statement on Wednesday through the Palestinian Wafa news agency.
He had come under sharp criticism from U.S., Israeli and German officials for accusing Israel of carrying out "50 Holocausts" against the Palestinians during a press conference in Germany on Tuesday, standing alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
A German reporter had asked Abbas whether the Palestinian Authority would apologize on the 50th anniversary of the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. The Palestine Liberation Organization, which is intertwined with the Palestinian Authority, carried out the massacre.
Abbas' statement came after Hussein Al-Sheikh, the current PLO secretary-general had a "difficult" conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, according to Israeli reporter Noga Tarnopolsky.
Scholz drew criticism for not calling out Abbas in real time but subsequently decried the comment.
QuoteHe has issued a statement reported on by Italian-language media in which he says he has "never made fun of the tragedy of the Holocaust, as some media outlets would like to believe with pre-election mastery in these hours."
Right-wing Italian councillor suspended over Holocaust jokeA Brothers of Italy councillor has been suspended from the party after he appeared to make humorous remarks about the Holocaust.
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/right-wing-italian-councillor-suspended-over-holocaust-joke-5R2tYwWZdqPGWRXxc3QzwU?reloadTime=1660935441872
An Italian politician has been suspended by his party after he appeared to make humorous remarks about the Holocaust.
38-year-old Naples councillor Giorgio Longobardi of the Brothers of Italy made the comments via Facebook. He joked that Italy's left-wing Democratic Party wishes to broadcast films relating to the Holocaust films on television until the 25 September election to "avert the danger of 'fascism''".
He said that films including Schindler's List, Anne Frank's Diary, The Pianist and Life is Beautiful would be broadcast in the lead-up to next month's poll and that they would be "interspersed with insights and testimonies from the Holocaust survivors."
Longobardi was quickly suspended and is now subject to an inquiry.
He has issued a statement reported on by Italian-language media in which he says he has "never made fun of the tragedy of the Holocaust, as some media outlets would like to believe with pre-election mastery in these hours."
He argued that the post "is aimed only at highlighting the means that the left uses in the electoral campaign," and claims to have been involved in a 15-year-long project with another councillor to oversee a scholarship "to keep alive the memory of the massacre of the Shoah and the Martyrs of the Foibe, destined for the students of the Falcone di Pianura school. All completely at our expense."
The Foibe Massacres were a series of mass killings of mostly ethnic Italians in 1943 after Yugoslav partisans occupied parts of northeast Italy, Istria, and Dalmatia.
"For these reasons, I do not accept lessons on these issues from anyone, especially from those who systematically throw mud on the FDI and do not see a PD allied with Fratoianni, who represents the left that claims that Israel is a state that "dances on corpses," Longobardi continued.
The Italy-Israel Federation and Naples' Jewish community said in a joint statement that they were "lost for words" over Longobardi's post which they argued was: "offensive to the memory of six million Jews". The statement went on to say that the groups were not surprised by Longobardi's comments, claiming that he allegedly "plastered his office" with posters praising Italy's former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
The statement also said the incident evidenced the "arrogant" fascist and antisemitic opinions within the Brothers of Italy party.
Last week the party's leader Giorgia Meloni, said Italy's right-wing had "handed fascism over to history for decades now," and that her party "unambiguously condemns the suppression of democracy and the ignominious anti-Jewish laws".
Speaking last Wednesday, Meloni emphasised her party's "shared values and experience" with Israel's Likud party, the British Conservatives, and US Republicans.
During a National Conservatism conference in Rome in 2020, Meloni said that "modern national conservatives... defend – without the shameful ambiguity typical of the Left – the right of the State of Israel to its security and a future of peace and prosperity."
Most of the party's leadership, including Chamber of Deputies member Meloni, were previously involved with the National Alliance party that merged into The People of Freedom party in 2009. The National Alliance was founded as the heir to the post-fascist Italian Social Movement, founded in 1946 by supporters of the former wartime dictator.
Earlier this week Meloni faced criticism after footage of her being interviewed as a 19-year-old activist emerged in which she is recorded as saying: "I believe Mussolini was a good politician. Everything he did, he did for Italy. There have not been other politicians like him in the past 50 years."
The party also faced criticism in May after officials were spotted dining at a Milanese restaurant where images and effigies of Benito Mussolini were on display.
Less than five years ago Meloni's party was viewed as winning just 4.4 per cent of the vote in 2018's general election. However recent opinion polls show FdI stands to gain almost a quarter of Italian votes. This would put Meloni on the path to prime ministership should she be successful in leading a coalition with Matteo Salvini's Northern League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forward Italy parties respectively.
Kari Lake, GOP nominee for Arizona governor, denounces endorsee's statement that Jews are 'evil'
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/22/politics/kari-lake-gop-nominee-for-arizona-governor-denounces-endorsees-statement-that-jews-are-evil
Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for Arizona governor, said she would withdraw her endorsement of a candidate for Oklahoma's state senate if she verifies that he made a series of antisemitic statements.
Lake told Axios on Monday that the military record of Jarrin Jackson, a candidate running for Oklahoma's state senate, had persuaded her to give him her endorsement, but she said that she was not aware of his statements on Jews and LGBTQ people, which she denounced.
Media Matters, a liberal media watchdog, found postings by Jackson to Telegram, a social media site favored by some far-right groups, in which he declares that he is not "beholden" to Jews, and repeats conspiracy theories about the Rothschilds, the Jewish family that has for centuries been a focus of antisemitic tropes.
In one entry, Jackson faulted a Christian film for not naming what he considers to be threats to Christianity.
"Outline and detail the evil. Amen," Jackson wrote. "The Jews. Illuminati. Covid shots kill. Rothschilds. Communists. Woke pastors. Social gospel. Christ will chuck a bunch of stuff in the fire."
Lake told Axios' local Phoenix newsletter that Jackson's record in Afghanistan impressed her, but she was not able to do a deep dive into his beliefs.
"It is impossible to dig into everything someone has said in their life," she said in a statement. "If his reported comments are true, I obviously rescind my endorsement. I respect Jarrin's service to our Nation, but clearly denounce that kind of derogatory language. Let me be clear: Our great movement welcomes anyone and everyone who wants to fight for a better future."
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix last week called on Lake and Mark Finchem — the Republican nominee for Arizona secretary of state who has also supported Jackson — to rescind their endorsements.
"We are judged by our relations, and the company we keep," said Paul Rockower, the JCRC's executive director. "There is no room for support for antisemitic bigots from those who want to lead Arizona."
Finchem has not responded to calls to denounce Jackson.
Lake last month rejected the endorsement of Andrew Torba, the antisemitic founder of Gab, a social media site favored by extremists that was used by the antisemitic gunman who killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018.
Finchem welcomed Torba's endorsement. So did Arizona State Sen. Wendy Rogers, who has also endorsed Jackson. Rogers is known for her own forays into antisemitic rhetoric, and the JCRC's Rockower said it was not worth making any requests of her.
"We are further disgusted by Wendy Rogers' endorsements of Jackson," he said in an email. "We are not going to bother asking Rogers to rescind her endorsement or issue a denunciation because her antisemitism is well-documented — we know who she is, and what she stands for."
San Francisco city council candidate apologises for calling Jewish journalist a Nazi
There are calls for Leanna Louie to quit the race for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/san-francisco-city-council-candidate-apologises-for-calling-jewish-journalist-a-nazi-4JqcLbJiOwYCrSAvpuXcpl?reloadTime=1661527317790
A candidate for the city government of San Francisco has apologised after mocking the name of a Jewish journalist, using the word "Nazi".
Leanna Louie – a candidate for District 4 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors – had referred to Joe Eskenazi, the managing editor of local news site Mission Local, as "EskeNAZI", triggering outrage.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday night, Louie reportedly apologised for the post, and in a post on Thursday, she repeated the apology, although continued to dispute the accuracy of his reporting.
In the offending post, Louie compared her experience being interviewed by local radio station KQED with previous conversations with Eskenazi.
Louie is facing questions from journalists and city electoral officials over whether is resident in the disctrict where she is standing for election, and whether she voted in that district illegally. Elections Department director John Arntz has referred her to the District Attorney for alleged voter fraud.
In the post, Louie wrote: "It was so nice to talk to a journalist who actually had a dialogue with me. Unlike Joe EskenNAZI who called me and talked over me and didn't even write any of my responses."
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Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 12.33.26
The original post by Leanne Louie (Image: Screenshot/Facebook)
She then used the capitalisation a second time when she went on to claim that Eskenazi had "called his friends and members" of Weather Underground, which is a defunct militant group formed in 1969, in order to "validate his points".
The post triggered outrage and condemnation from across the city, some of whom called on her to withdraw from the race.
San Francisco Examiner reporter Gil Duran wrote on Twitter: "How toxic are San Francisco politics? Time to end the campaign, Leanna."
Aaron Peskin, supervisor for District 3, told Mission Local that Louie's comments are "the musings of a crazy person who is not fit to take public office."
He added that he had "never seen this kind of racist, antisemitic behaviour from anybody in, or running for, public office in San Francisco, in the quarter of a century I have been involved in local politics."
https://twitter.com/HamasakiLaw/status/1562459338857259013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1562459338857259013%7Ctwgr%5Ecd933d940517c2fd1d55dd3d0abc5b082ccc6eba%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fsan-francisco-city-council-candidate-apologises-for-calling-jewish-journalist-a-nazi-4JqcLbJiOwYCrSAvpuXcpl%3FreloadTime%3D1661527317790
Incumbent District 4 supervisor Gordon Mar said that Louie's "shocking antisemitic and hateful comments are absolutely unacceptable. She should immediately apologize to Joe Eskenazi and to the elections experts for her absurd and inflammatory remarks."
District Attorney candidate John Hamasaki tweeted: "Hate has no place in San Francisco. No matter whether it is anti-Semitic, anti-Black, or anti-Asian, it is tearing our city apart.
"I condemn this hate speech in the strongest terms and call on Leanna Louie to withdraw from the race for supervisor."
California State Senator Scott Weiner said that it was "deeply harmful to use the word 'Nazi' to refer to anyone who isn't an actual Nazi, particularly when directed at a Jew."
He added: "The actual Nazis killed 6 million Jews & millions others. Their lives are devalued by this kind of rhetoric."
In her apology post, Louie stated that she was expressing "frustration with Joe's barrage of news articles in a highly insensitive, inappropriate and uncharacteristic manner."
She went on to say that the "formatting of his surname was in poor taste and I want to sincerely apologize to Joe Eskenazi, his family, and the Jewish community."
However, she continued her attacks on Eskenazi's journalism in Facebook and Twitter posts on Wednesday following a TV interview, writing: "Thank You KTVU2 and Amber Lee for fair reporting and the chance to extend a hand of friendship and apology to Joe Eskenazi. I appreciate the opportunity to explain why I will be on the November 2022 Ballot.
https://twitter.com/LeannaLouieD4SF/status/1562819355133431808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1562819355133431808%7Ctwgr%5Ecd933d940517c2fd1d55dd3d0abc5b082ccc6eba%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fsan-francisco-city-council-candidate-apologises-for-calling-jewish-journalist-a-nazi-4JqcLbJiOwYCrSAvpuXcpl%3FreloadTime%3D1661527317790
"I issued an apology for my Facebook post directing frustration at Joe Eskenazi for writing half truths about me and requested to meet with him in person, but he declined. I offered to provide a timeline of my residency and evidence, but he did not accept any of the evidence? Why is Joe Ezkenazi avoiding to report on the whole truth?"
Eskenazi himself said: "I am used to stuff like this, ever since grade school, when they teach non-Jews what the Holocaust is."
Aviv Geffen, icon of Israeli left, apologizes during West Bank concert for denouncing settlers
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/30/israel/aviv-geffen-icon-of-israeli-left-apologizes-during-west-bank-concert-for-denouncing-settlers
Israeli rock star Aviv Geffen, a symbol of the country's left, announced during a recent concert in the West Bank that he regretted his past criticism of settlers living there — whom he had long denounced as obstacles to peace.
"It's very moving to be here. I went through a personal journey that was not simple and not short and I understand that me and my brothers — you — were made to separate for any number of reasons including my ignorance, which came from a desire to please part of my audience," Geffen said during a concert Aug. 24 in Beit El, the settlement championed by David Friedman, the Trump administration's former ambassador to Israel.
"I spoke from ignorance and I did not understand the other," Geffen added. "I've matured and I want to ask your genuine forgiveness from my heart."
Geffen's West Bank concerts and comments offer a potent sign that the settlements, seen internationally as a barrier to peace and considered illegal under international law, have become politically mainstream in Israel.
That was not the case in 1995, when Geffen vaulted into international view after he was the last person to embrace Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin before Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing extremist angry that he had agreed to give up parts of the West Bank in an attempt to make peace with the Palestinians. The assassination took place at a Tel Aviv concert organized by Rabin's liberal supporters, including Geffen.
Geffen said his fundamental beliefs had not changed. "I remained on the left, but a man who doesn't know how to make peace within his own people, won't know how to make peace with his neighbors," he tweeted on Monday.
Onstage, Geffen attributed his evolution to what he said was a friendship with Ayelet Shaked, a right-wing politician who is currently Israel's minister of the interior. She responded on Twitter, saying, "Aviv, I am glad that I helped enlighten your eyes to all the good in this community, salt of the earth, I hope your voice will contribute to increasing unity and free love in our wonderful nation."
Geffen also donned a knit kippah of the type favored by religious Zionists — a meaningful move in a culture where the style of a man's head covering is a signifier of his political ideology — before performing with Avraham Fried, a popular Hasidic Orthodox singer. Fried and Geffen struck up a friendship early in the pandemic, after Geffen expressed sympathy during an online concert toward the Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, whose residents had been hard hit by COVID-19.
Geffen performed at two different settlements, each with strong religious Zionist bona fides: Kedumim, home to Bezalel Smotrich, a right-wing politician who wants Israel to be governed by Jewish law, and Beit El, a self-described conscientious objector in a country where military service is mandatory, Geffen also performed for the first time at Israel Defense Forces bases in recent months.
Geffen's comments come as Israel nears an election — its fifth in three years — in which Shaked is leading a new party, Zionist Spirit, that could determine whether former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns to office. Beyond that question, it appears clear that more Israelis are planning to vote for right-wing parties that oppose any concessions when it comes to the West Bank.
"The center has been sliding right and the rhetoric is now focused on who is the "authentic right,'" sociologist Or Anabi wrote in an analysis distributed Tuesday by the nonpartisan research center Israel Democracy Institute.
While Shaked and other right-wing figures celebrated Geffen's comments, they drew criticism and sadness from the left. Writing in the liberal newspaper Haaretz, Carolina Landsmann connected Geffen's change of heart to a dispute between the city of Tel Aviv and the national ministry of education about whether schools can display maps delineating where Israel's 1967 borders end and where the settlements begin. The government says such maps are prohibited, but many Tel Aviv schools nonetheless plan to display them when classes begin this week.
"Without the two-state solution on the horizon, there is no longer significance to the old political division or to the ideological dispute around the future of the West Bank and the settlement project," Landsmann wrote. "The erasure of the Green Line was the real, unstated price of the 'government of change' that the Tel Avivians created along with the settlers. Gefen, from this perspective, is not at all avant-garde. He is a conformist who now toes the ideological line."
In his comments during the Beit El concert, Geffen acknowledged the magnitude of his presence.
"Being here today in Bet El is something I would not have dreamed of several years ago and I am so glad to be with you here in love and in honor," he said. "I ask you what I ask from myself: only unity, enough with incitement, to understand that we are real brothers. Thank you for inviting me here and I love you."
Germany apologizes to Munich Massacre victims and opens research commission into events surrounding the tragedy
https://www.jta.org/2022/09/06/global/germany-apologizes-to-munich-massacre-victims-and-opens-research-commission-into-events-surrounding-the-tragedy
At a ceremony held on the air base where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were murdered during the 1972 Munich Olympics, German officials apologized for the "lack of protection" that led to the tragedy and agreed to establish a joint research commission to look more deeply into the events surrounding the terror attack.
"We cannot make amends for what has happened," said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday. "I ask you, as the head of state of this country and on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, for forgiveness for the lack of protection of the Israeli athletes during the Olympic Games in Munich and for the lack of clarification afterwards; for the fact that what happened could happen."
Germany also reached a compensation deal of about $28 million with the attack's surviving family members days before the commemoration, a significant increase from a previous offer that staved off a planned boycott of the ceremony by the victims' families.
"Today, 50 years on, many questions, far too many questions, remain unanswered," Steinmeier said. "The attack was followed by years, of decades of silence and blocking out... that too is a failure.
"Honored family members, I cannot fathom what suffering, what pain you've been through... How can life go on," he added. "For five decades, that gnawing pain has been with you."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who threatened to join the boycott, attended Monday's ceremony and addressed the Bundestag, or Germany's parliament, on Tuesday, praising its government for the apology and welcoming a proposal by Bundestag President Bärbel Bas to create a new German-Israeli youth exchange organization.
Herzog thanked Steinmeier and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for "taking responsibility" and contributing to "some relief of the pain that relatives still have today."
On Sept. 5, 1972, eight terrorists from the Palestinian group Black September entered the Olympic Village and took members of the Israeli delegation hostage, demanding the release of Palestinian political prisoners held in Israel and elsewhere. After a botched rescue attempt, 11 Israelis and one West German police officer were killed by the end of the night.
Herzog capped his trip with a visit to the memorial at the Bergen-Belsen former concentration camp. His father, Chaim Herzog — who would become Israel's sixth president — helped liberate the camp in April 1945, as a British army officer.
Scott is grovelling by denying that he is an "anti-semite' and is essentially apologizing to the jews by demanding that another person apologize.
QuoteScott told The Oaklandside today that he is "absolutely not antisemitic" and that his reply was meant only to express frustration with the fact that some candidates have been invited to appear in public political forums and others have not. Later in the email thread, he encouraged Liu to apologize "to let folks know you are not making a blanket statement about Jews."
Oakland Mayoral Candidate Goes On Antisemitic Bender https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-118/oakland-mayoral-candidate-goes-on-antisemitic-bender
A candidate for Oakland mayor has been widely condemned for making antisemitic comments in mass emails first sent on Sunday. A fellow candidate has been criticized for his initial response to those comments.
On Sunday, Peter Liu, who has twice run for Oakland mayor and never gotten more than 1% of the vote, sent an email to over 60 people, including other candidates and members of the media, slandering and threatening the Jewish Community Relations Council, a Bay Area public affairs group, and congregants of Oakland's Temple Sinai synagogue. Liu also accused both organizations of unfairly excluding him and other mayoral candidates from an upcoming forum at the temple.
"I am sick of these corrupt Jews and their media allies deceiving the public," Liu wrote, invoking an antisemitic trope in which Jewish people are accused of nefariously controlling mass media outlets. The watchdog group StopAntisemitism tweeted the email containing the hateful words
https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites/status/1567486721977188353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1567486721977188353%7Ctwgr%5Ee658c232fa9339004375e51fe287af2312f4e19c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stopantisemitism.org%2Fantisemitic-incidents-118%2Foakland-mayoral-candidate-goes-on-antisemitic-bender
Liu then threatened Temple Sinai, saying in his latest mass email that he would "notify all national veteran organizations" about his grievance against the temple. He followed this up with another email stating, "I am not afraid of jail. I long overcame fear of getting killed, I was a combat veteran. If I die, I die on righteous grounds. I fear no enemies at this point."
Reached by telephone, Liu told The Oaklanside he believes there is "Jew supremacy" in Oakland and worldwide, echoing conspiracy theories that have long been used to target and persecute Jewish people.
Although Liu denies that his recent comments are inflammatory and said he means no harm to anyone, he has a history of harmful speech aimed at minority groups. In 2018, when he ran for mayor, Liu took to Twitter to blame his dismal performance on "Jews shamelessly rigging elections via owning [and] controlling mass media." In 2017, he urged a boycott of Disney because they "sneak gay scenes into innocent kids' movies." He said he was subsequently banned from Twitter for hate speech. The Oaklandside reviewed Liu's old tweets, which he saved on Facebook, for this story.
Liu is one of 10 candidates running for mayor this year. His platform includes building giant water slides in parks and allowing people to carry concealed firearms. He describes himself as a self-made millionaire and said his views about the world are shaped by his Christian beliefs.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Liu had sent over 17 responses in the same email chain, lobbing more accusations tinged with hate speech at the Jewish community forum's organizers, even as fellow candidates and other observers urged him to stop.
The first response to Liu's email on Sunday was from Seneca Scott, a West Oakland resident and founder of the entertainment company Oakhella who is also running for mayor. Scott replied to Liu's email within two minutes with just one word: "Protest!?!"
Liu wrote back that they should organize a sideshow—a demonstration of illegal stunt car racing—in front of the temple.
Several people posted screenshots of this exchange on social media. Among them was Cat Brooks, an activist and Oakland mayoral candidate in 2018. Brooks wrote that she interpreted Scott's comment as an endorsement of Liu's anti-Jewish views.
"His response was absolutely inappropriate," Brooks said in an interview with The Oaklandside. "This can't be divorced from what's happening nationally, the political base that Trump built." She said it's dangerous to endorse the idea of a protest at a Jewish temple at a time when hate crimes are rising. Just days before Scott responded to Liu's incendiary email, Brooks had taken to Twitter to share "grave concern" about Scott's candidacy.
Scott told The Oaklandside today that he is "absolutely not antisemitic" and that his reply was meant only to express frustration with the fact that some candidates have been invited to appear in public political forums and others have not. Later in the email thread, he encouraged Liu to apologize "to let folks know you are not making a blanket statement about Jews."
During his first mayoral run in 2014, Liu criticized Temple Sinai for not inviting him to participate in its mayoral debate. According to emails Liu posted to his extensive Oakland Wiki page, the temple invited only candidates who were receiving support from at least 5% of likely voters in recent independent polls. Liu was not among them.
Zennie Abraham, an independent video blogger and longtime Oakland political commentator who was also a recipient of Liu's emails over the past several days, responded to Liu that he feels threatened and harassed and that he's considering taking action under the city's hate crimes law.
U of Wisconsin apologizes to Jewish students after 'Zionism is genocide' graffiti pops up around campus
https://www.jta.org/2022/09/09/united-states/u-of-wisconsin-apologizes-to-jewish-students-after-zionism-is-genocide-graffiti-pops-up-around-campus
Administrators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison issued an apology to the school's Jewish students after graffiti targeting what perpetrators called "Zionist" student groups was spotted in multiple locations around campus on the first day of the semester this week.
University officials called the graffiti antisemitic and said they did not know who had drawn it. According to local reports and images shared by the American Jewish Committee, the graffiti at one location included phrases like "Zionism is Racism" and "Zionism is Genocide," and referenced unnamed "Zionist" organizations at the university that "have blood on their hands."
"These labels are antisemitic: they attribute broad actions or beliefs to Jewish student groups," UW Vice Chancellor Lori Reesor and Chief Diversity Officer LaVar J. Charleston said in a joint statement Wednesday.
"To those Jewish students and others affected, we are sorry for the impact this had on your first day of class at UW," Reesor and Charleston continued. "We truly strive to create a campus where every student feels they belong, and this kind of messaging harms that goal and aspiration."
The university has more than 4,000 Jewish students, according to UW Hillel. The university's Hillel Foundation president, Greg Steinberger, told Madison.com that the messages were "a frightening and painful way to start the year," and that Jewish students "were targeted for their interests and they were singled out by an intentional and hateful act designed to cause harm." He called on administrators to further investigate the identities of those responsible.
Steinberger did not respond to a Jewish Telegraphic Agency request for comment. In their statement, the UW administrators said that while the graffiti was protected under campus free speech, "Just because something isn't prohibited doesn't make it a good idea."
One Jewish student group wrote their Instagram handle next to some of the graffiti, labeling themselves "proud and pro-Israel."
Campus debates over Israel and antisemitism have spilled over into the realm of Jewish student groups in recent years, with pro-Palestinian activists at Tufts University and in the greater Boston area targeting even socially liberal Jewish groups, as well as universities that host pro-Israel groups, as examples of "Zionist" organizations that should be ostracized. Other recent campus controversies have involved student government efforts to deny recognition to pro-Israel groups at Duke University and divest from Israel at Ohio State University; legal watchdog groups got involved in both cases to apply pressure to campus administrators.
US Air Force apologises for scheduling training day on Yom Kippur
Jewish cadets say academy leadership were aware of the clash for weeks
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/us-air-force-apologises-for-scheduling-training-day-on-yom-kippur-5kwIHD25P4PLKRK01NvmMo?reloadTime=1665513718134
The United States Air Force Academy has said it will rectify the process that led to a clash between a key training exercise and Yom Kippur.
"The US Air Force Academy recognises the importance of the holy days of all faiths. A training event was unintentionally scheduled this week during the Jewish observance of Yom Kippur," Lieutenant Colonel Brian Maguire, the academy's public affairs director told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Thursday.
"The Academy's Academic Year Calendar is developed and maintained through an institutional process that includes input on faith considerations of the cadets.
"We will correct our processes to ensure this, and mistakes like this, do not happen again."
Lt. Col Maguire explained that cadets planning to observe the holiest day in Judaism were permitted to do so, stating: "Religious accommodations were planned and made available to all Jewish cadets wishing to observe Yom Kippur."
The academy's "Commandants Training Day" is a compulsory event that takes place once every semester. The high publicity event involves cadets displaying what they have learned throughout their training and is important to cadets' advancement.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) publicised the scheduling clash in an article published by the liberal political blog site Daily Kos.
MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein, a Jewish graduate of the academy, told the JTA that a number of Jewish staff and students had informed him about the clash, and said academy leadership had known about the oversight for weeks.
Local media also published an email, sent last Tuesday evening just minutes before Kol Nidrei, from the dean of faculty, Brigadier General Linell Letendre, in which she said a "serious scheduling oversight," had occurred.
"Obviously, tomorrow's Commandant's Challenge should not have been scheduled to overlap with this significant religious holiday," she continued.
Mr Weinstein says he has submitted a freedom of information request to uncover how the academy dealt with the forthcoming clash with the key Jewish High Holy Day.
"All anyone had to do was to Google 'Yom Kippur 2022', and the dates would have happily popped up on pretty much any computer screen on this planet," he argued.
The organisation says that US troops and other military personnel who complain of religious discrimination often turn to it as it ensures the complainant's identities are not revealed.
Stanford U apologizes for discriminating against Jewish applicants in the 1950s
https://www.jta.org/2022/10/13/united-states/stanford-u-discriminated-against-jewish-applicants-in-the-1950s-task-force-confirms
An official investigation by Stanford University released Wednesday confirmed longstanding suspicions that university administrators acted to limit Jewish enrollment in the 1950s while publicly denying that they were doing so.
In tandem with the release of the report, Stanford's president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, apologized to the Jewish community on behalf of the university.
"This ugly component of Stanford's history, confirmed by this new report, is saddening and deeply troubling," Tessier-Lavigne wrote. "As a university, we must acknowledge it and confront it as a part of our history, as repellent as it is, and seek to do better."
Tessier-Lavigne also wrote that Stanford will work to ensure that it is welcoming to Jewish students today by increasing anti-bias training, creating a dedicated advisory committee, paying more attention to Jewish holiday cycles in university scheduling and other measures. The university's first day of classes this fall took place on Rosh Hashanah.
Stanford convened the task force that produced the report last year after a historian published his discovery of documents left behind by Stanford's admissions director from 1950 to 1970, Rixford Snyder, suggesting that Snyder was biased against Jews and interested in reducing their enrollment at the university.
A similar conclusion was reached by the task force, which consisted of faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and students.
"For decades, it's been understood by many Jews in California that Stanford either had or has a bias against Jewish applicants," said Stanford history professor Ari Y. Kelman, who chaired the task force. "What we found was that the director of admissions, with knowledge of other members of high administration of the university, took steps to limit the number of Jewish students that were enrolled at Stanford."
Evidence of Snyder's intentions is found in a 1953 memo written by his colleague Fred Glover that was sent to then-Stanford President Wallace Sterling.
Glover noted that Snyder felt too many of Stanford's male applicants were Jewish and that the university must take action to change the situation.
"Snyder feels that this problem is loaded with dynamite and he wanted you to know about it, as he says that the situation forces him to disregard our stated policy of paying no attention to the race or religion of applicants," Glover wrote.
According to the archival material, Snyder acted to accomplish his goal of reducing Jewish admissions by targeting Beverly Hills High School and Fairfax High School, two Los Angeles schools with predominantly Jewish student bodies.
"If we accept a few Jewish applicants from these schools the following year we get a flood of Jewish applicants," Glover wrote, relaying Snyder's concern.
After the date of that memo, for example, Snyder dropped Beverly Hills and Fairfax from his recruitment efforts at Southern California schools, according to Snyder's travel itineraries found in the university's archives.
An analysis of enrollment data showed that Stanford soon saw a sharp drop in enrollment from these two schools.
Stanford's history of discrimination against Jews and other minorities is far from unique among elite universities. At earlier points in the 20th century, many Ivy League schools enacted far more blatant policies of discrimination, such as official religious and racial quotas, controlling the number of Jews enrolled. (The U.S. Supreme Court this year will consider two cases about affirmative action, a contemporary practice aimed at ensuring diversity that its critics say amounts to discrimination against students from some backgrounds.)
The fact that the antisemitism uncovered at Stanford was more subtle and came later is instructive as institutions across the country are increasingly reckoning with their past, said Stanford historian Emily J. Levine, who was part of the task force.
"In the 1950s, it was no longer as acceptable to be so overtly antisemitic," Levine said. "Antisemitism didn't so much go away as it went underground."
And because the discrimination went underground, specialized research skills, the kind that students can learn at Stanford, were needed to parse the archival material and understand the methods of reducing Jewish student enrollment and their impact, she said.
For Levine, a moral commitment accompanied by research and teaching can create an environment for healing from the past.
"The process of collective institutional memory and self-reflective criticism as a community, right can actually make individuals feel more connected to each other and trust their institution more," she said.
About 7% of Stanford's undergraduates today are Jewish, according to data shared publicly by the university's Hillel. Stanford's public apology and commitment to improving Jewish life on campus through concrete steps are in line with the process of redress required under teshuvah, a Jewish concept about returning to the path of righteousness, according to Rabbi Laurie Hahn Tapper, the university's associate dean for religious and spiritual life.
And the timing, amid the Jewish High Holidays, couldn't have been more appropriate, she said.
"Has there been change since the '50s? Yes. We have a wonderful vibrant campus now — and antisemitism still exists," Hahn Tapper said. "So to be able to name it to bring it out of the shadows is step one in continuing to grow our community."
Quote from: yankeedoodle on October 13, 2022, 02:41:55 PM
Stanford U apologizes for discriminating against Jewish applicants in the 1950s
https://www.jta.org/2022/10/13/united-states/stanford-u-discriminated-against-jewish-applicants-in-the-1950s-task-force-confirms
An official investigation by Stanford University released Wednesday confirmed longstanding suspicions that university administrators acted to limit Jewish enrollment in the 1950s while publicly denying that they were doing so.
In tandem with the release of the report, Stanford's president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, apologized to the Jewish community on behalf of the university.
God what Bullshit.
Stanford was totally infested with Jews in the late 1970's, when I went there.
My mother went there in the early 1950's, and though she is a Gentile, she is one of the most Jew-controlled people I have ever known.
A Jew Psychopath Psychiatrist I interviewed with in the early 1990's, went to Stanford Med School in the early 1960's.
Ebay apologises for selling memorabilia from Nazi era Third Reich knick-knacks are still being traded despite a ban put in place 20 years ago
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/ebay-apologises-for-selling-memorabilia-from-nazi-era-7B3fvtZrKjc6VAV1IJtXgG?reloadTime=1665683059678
(https://images.ctfassets.net/tyagww523muq/1M1UKsZijB2TDb9NgNLn3h/48f9737f93f267a59587ffc4066530d3/2.png?w=1045&h=588&q=50&fit=fill&f=faces)
A Wehrmacht pin on sale on the site
eBay supposedly banned the sale of Nazi memorabilia 20 years ago. But Third Reich knick-knacks are still being traded through the online marketplace, the JC has discovered.
Items on sale over the last week included a Nazi propaganda book aimed at Britons, a swastika-emblazoned Nazi record book and postcards celebrating Adolf Hitler's victories across Europe.
The online auction giant apologised and removed the offending items after the JC brought them to its attention.
In 2001, eBay barred users from selling items that promoted hate or violence.
(https://images.ctfassets.net/tyagww523muq/55zNIUX6vn1MTB0LRh2pxz/20da246a7d2b38a1420e9c8ee34287bc/1.png?w=585&q=50)
For sale: 1938 copy of Germany Speaks, a collection of essays edited by Nazi Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop
The prohibition included items relating to the Nazi regime, the Holocaust and slavery, among other historical events.
But a raft of products violating these rules can still be easily discovered on the site.
Pins from the German African legion, the Nazi's Munich district and a 1933 rally of the party's paramilitary wing were all available from a seller based in the United Kingdom. Several featured prominent swastikas.
On sale from China was a "high quality" replica Second World War-era Wehrmacht pin.
And for at least £50, you could buy a 1938 copy of Germany Speaks, a collection of essays edited by Nazi Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.
Offensive material is blocked on eBay by a combination of filter algorithms and security teams which are supposed to monitor the site.
The company is understood to be currently reviewing its automated system to strengthen its ability to prevent Nazi memorabilia from appearing in the first place.
A spokesperson for eBay said: "We have removed the listings that breach our policy and taken action against the sellers responsible.
"We would also like to apologise for any offence caused."
Nothing wrong with the German cross.
It's from one of the most FUNCTIONAL periods in German history - 1920 to 1933/4.
Germany managed to beat the Weimar hyperinflation - and then build the largest industrial economy in the world ! During that time, a "Soft Expel" of Jews was in place.
Then the Jews installed Hitler, because they knew they had to keep the example of pre-Hitler Germany from proliferating across the world. Their Goose would have been Cooked.
That was also the time-frame when Henry Ford was publishing the International Jew. So the Jews were losing in Europe AND the US.
SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE !
So they doubled down on the Israel Project, and set about to pit the US & Germany against each other in WW2.
N.O.R.E. Apologizes for Airing Kanye West's 'Hurtful' Antisemitic and George Floyd Comments on 'Drink Champs'
https://variety.com/2022/music/news/nore-apologizes-kanye-west-antisemitic-george-floyd-drink-champs-1235405889/
After Kanye West unleashed more than three and a half hours of anti-Semitic rants, untruths about George Floyd and hostile comments toward everyone from Trevor Noah to Diddy during a Sunday appearance on Revolt.TV's "Drink Champs," interviewer N.O.R.E. apologized for using his platform to have such views aired during a call to the"Breakfast Club" on Monday morning.
N.O.R.E. (real name: Victor Santiago), who challenged West only occasionally during the interview, was on the receiving end of many angry social media posts for his tacit acceptance of many of the comments.
"I made a mistake doing the Kanye interview," he said. "I could come out here and say this was Kanye's thing and that's it. And guess what? People will forgive me and I could get away with that. But that's not what I'm doing. I feel like I failed my people. I called 'The Breakfast Club': because I wanted to apologize to my people.
"I want to be honest. I support freedom of speech," he continued. "I support anybody not being censored. But I do not support anybody being hurt," N.O.R.E told "The Breakfast Club" host Charlamagne Tha God. "I did not realize that the George Floyd statements made by Kanye on my show were so hurtful. You have to realize that it was the first five minutes of the show – like when he walked in, he told my producer that if we stop filming, he'll walk out. So I didn't want a Birdman moment, like when he walked out, so I wanted the man to speak."
N.O.R.E. stressed that he did he did "check" West in regard to some of the more incendiary comments regarding George Floyd, particularly the claim that Floyd's death was due to a Fentanyl overdose rather than police officer Derek Chauvin — who was convicted on two counts of murder and one of manslaughter. "I actually checked him about the 'White Lives Matter' thing too, but they were later in the episode, and I was already inebriated at that time, that maybe people looked over it. But I apologize to the George Floyd family."
While N.O.R.E. didn't specifically focus on West's more incendiary comments about Jewish people — including that the "Jewish owned" media is out to get West, and that everyone from "Jewish basketball team owners" to "Jewish record label bosses" are in control — or to labeling Pete Davidson, West's estranged wife Kim Kardashian's former paramour, a heroin addict, the "Drink Champs" host did offer a blanket apology to all who may have been wounded or insulted by West's comments.
"I don't watch my own interviews because I know I'm great. But when I watched this one, I cringed. And I felt terrible. So I have to say that I am sorry to anybody who was hurt by his rhetoric, anybody who was hurt by his speech. I want to apologize to the George Floyd family... I want to apologize to anyone who was hurt by someone saying something in my platform. Contrary to popular belief, we own 'Drink Champs.; We own our IP, so the person to blame is us. I'm not going to blame Puff Daddy [the owner of Revolt.TV where "Drink Champs" is aired]. Six years of this, I'm not going to have the excuse that I am not a journalist. I have responsibility.... I do not want my people to think that I did not step up at the time, but if you watch the whole 3 hour and 38-minute interview, I represent for George Floyd and Black people five, six, seven times."
N.O.R.E. also attempted to defend himself by stating, "I had four Jewish people in the room" during the interview, including Steve Rifkind from Loud Records. "I looked to the Jewish people in the room to tell me when Kayne was going over the line." Their looks, apparently, were those of "understanding where Kanye was coming from," he claimed, "but I don't support none of it."
He also denied rumors that some of West's comments were edited out of the interview, as Fox News did earlier this month. "We don't edit out nothing," he told "The Breakfast Club."
Diddy declined comment on the interview, but West posted a text exchange between the two earlier this month that concluded with Diddy writing, "I'm just trying to talk to you as a Black man. And I'm talking to you because this is hurting our people. Stop."
When "The Breakfast Club" hosts joked to N.O.R.E. about a comment that former president Donald Trump made about West being too "crazy" with his antisemitic statements, he laughed and said, "That's when I had to step up."
N.O.R.E. was gently reprimanded by Charlamagne for not challenging West earlier in the long interview, and for having him on the show at all. "As your friend, I told you last week not to do this [interview]," he said. "I told you this twice."
Kanye 'Ye' West Apologizes for Anti-Semitic 'Death Con' Comments: 'I Caused Hurt and Confusion'
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kanye-ye-west-apologizes-anti-223700055.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuanRhLm9yZy8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAm4k0dNDUmS2Y09eqN9SpiCDwauqGdr2ACKkybCtUPIwPXSTxHgk5Ko3yK8znq2PtTvVYWXYyl3Q_vCGWIJlj0eZVYtvsj1lkydAKyoQ1_axlkLLTAwu2stJGnUaURnWyxEIYNEDZvIq3auRS6K2jWevmHqNIpmxLbiSIMrjJBL
Ye apologized for his anti-Semitic "death con" comments Wednesday, underscoring that his tweet came from a place of "hurt."
"I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt with the 'Death Con' — the confusion that I caused," the artist formerly known as Kanye West told Piers Morgan on his TalkTV show. "I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I'm sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I have been through, and that I used my platform, where you say hurt people hurt people, and I was hurt."
The apology comes over a week after the rapper was locked from his Twitter and Instagram accounts for violating the platform's policies after Ye tweeted that he was going to go "death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," referring to the military readiness condition "DEFCON."
"I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," the rapper wrote in a now-deleted tweet. "The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda."
The rapper further admitted that "it's wrong to hold an apology hostage." "I gotta let go of that and free myself of the trauma and say, 'look, I'm just gonna give it all up to God right now,'" he continued, "and say to those families that I hurt, I really wanna give you guys a big hug and I'm sorry for hurting you with my comments."
Despite the eventual apology, it was a belabored effort as Morgan grilled the artist on his harmful tweet, saying "I don't think you understand the pain you've been causing with some of these comments."
"God forbid one comment could cause people to feel any of the pain that my people have went though for years," Ye responded sarcastically before Morgan noted that the artist's comments were also a form a racism.
At this point in the interview, Morgan asked "Do you now regret saying 'Death Con 3' on Jewish people?" Are you sorry you said that?" to which Ye responded, "No, absolutely not." "You should be," Morgan retorted.
Ohio GOP candidate defends 'Jew you down' comment by saying Jews have 'solid money principles'
https://www.jta.org/2022/10/21/united-states/ohio-gop-candidate-defends-jew-you-down-comment-by-saying-jews-have-solid-money-principles
Facing criticism about her use in 2014 of the antisemitic phrase "Jew you down," the Republican nominee for a competitive state Senate seat in Ohio this week said she was just trying to praise Jews' frugality.
Michele Reynolds, a business owner and former public sector employee running as the GOP candidate in the state's 3rd Senate district, self-published a book for business owners in 2014. In it, she wrote, "I learned from other cultures on how they spend their money. Have you ever heard the term 'Jew you down'? This culture has a reputation for not wasting resources."
The book, "The Dreambiz Blueprint: 101 Business Tips on How to Develop and Operate Your Dream Business," is not easily available online. The passage was reported Wednesday by Cleveland.com reporter Jake Zuckerman and publicized by the Ohio Senate Dems caucus on social media.
The Reynolds campaign's initial response, issued to the Columbus Dispatch, said the candidate had intended to spotlight "what she learned from the wisdom of the Jewish community and how they are reputable for building successful businesses with a foundation of solid money principles."
But by late in the day Thursday, Reynolds had issued a more straightforward apology from her Twitter account, writing, "While it was never my intent to be hurtful or disrespectful when I wrote the book in 2014, I humbly apologize to the Jewish community and anyone offended by the expression. I won't reference this phrase again, and if the book is ever republished, I'll make sure it is removed."
"I realize there are better ways to express my respect for my fellow brothers and sisters in the faith," Reynolds added.
Reynolds, who has the endorsement of mainstream Republicans and business leaders in her state, tweeted a Rosh Hashanah message last month. An online biography identifies her as "first lady and executive pastor" of Common Ground Destiny Center Church, where her husband is the lead pastor. She has previously directed Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's office of faith-based and community initiatives.
Her other previous roles include commissioner of Ohio's Commission on Fatherhood, and working in the Akron mayor's economic development office.
Ohio's 3rd state Senate district includes parts of Columbus, its most populous city. The seat is currently held by a Democrat. In a previous local race, for county commission in 2018, Reynolds lost to the Democratic candidate by a wide margin.
Reynolds is not the first U.S. politician to draw fire this year for using the phrase "Jew you down," a phrase that persists in the 21st-century American lexicon, despite repeated pleas from Jewish organizations to kill it off because of its roots in antisemitic ideas about Jewish stinginess. Two Kentucky GOP state lawmakers also used the phrase while making a joke during a meeting of the state legislature in February, before apologizing.
Russian security chief apologizes for aide's Jewish 'cult' comment
Nikolay Patrushev apologised after Russia's chief rabbi dismissed the aide's claims as "anti-Semitic delirium"
https://www.rt.com/russia/565521-patrushev-apology-hasidic-jews/
The secretary of the Russia's national security council, Nikolay Patrushev, has issued an apology and distanced the council from "untruthful remarks" about a Jewish group made by one of his aides in a recent opinion piece. The Russian Jewish community was outraged by claims that members of the Chabad-Lubavitch group considered the rest of humanity inferior to themselves.
The accusation, made by aide Aleksey Pavlov, is his personal viewpoint and does not in any way reflect the position of the Russian government, Patrushev stressed in a statement to the Argumenty i Fakty (AiF) newspaper, on Thursday. "Relevant action has been taken regarding the author," he added.
The top official was referring to an opinion piece by his assistant, printed in the paper on Tuesday. He argued that Ukraine was being deliberately dragged towards various forms of paganism or cultism masquerading as mainstream religions, accusing some senior Ukrainian public figures of directing the process.
Among the targets of his verbal attack was Chabad-Lubavitch, a variant of Hasidic Judaism that originated over two centuries ago in what is now Vitebsk Region in Belarus, but was largely pushed out of the Soviet Union during the Bolshevik crackdown on religious practices.
Pavlov called the movement a "sect," which in Russian has a pejorative meaning similar to the word "cult" in English, and claimed that its "main principle is the superiority of its members over all other nations and peoples."
The characterization was strongly rejected by Russia's chief rabbi, Berel Lazar, whose rebuke was published by AiF on Wednesday.
"It should be enough to say that 90% of rabbis working in Russian Jewish communities are part of Chabad, and I am one of them," he wrote.
The movement rejects any form of idolatry, contrary to "Mr. Pavlov's fantasies" and advocates respect for all monotheistic religions, all peoples, and every individual since we are "all in essence G-d's children," he added.
Lazar said he would have ignored Pavlov's words as "vulgar anti-Semitic delirium" if he didn't hold a high position in the Russian security council. He called for a "swift and unequivocal reaction" to it.
This lady apologized, but it didn't do her any good, did it.
QuoteIt then emerged that Dallali had posted provocative comments such as "Khaybar Khaybar O Jews... Muhammad's army will return Gaza" – a reference to a 628 massacre. She has apologised for the 2012 tweet, saying she was now "a different person".
Sacked NUS president Shaima Dallali slams her firing as 'unacceptable' The NUS said that an independent panel found that 'significant breaches of NUS' policies have taken place'
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/shaima-dallali-sacked-as-nus-president-after-antisemitism-investigation-60pJUIaxpqtzEodLEN7EgU?reloadTime=1667323952172
Shaima Dallali has slammed her sacking as National Union of Students (NUS) president as "unacceptable" after a months-long independent investigation into allegations of antisemitism found "significant breaches" of the union's policies.
The NUS announced yesterday that it had terminated Dallali's contract after a months-long independent investigation into allegations of antisemitism
After being suspended from her role at the end of August, it is understood that the organisation decided to dismiss her for gross misconduct.
In a statement, the student organisation said: "Following the independent KC-led investigation into allegations of antisemitism, specifically into the then-President Elect under the NUS Code of Conduct, an independent panel has found that significant breaches of NUS' policies have taken place. As per this finding, we have terminated the President's contract."
The NUS added: "We are sorry for the harm that has been caused and we hope to rebuild the NUS in an inclusive way – fighting for all students as we have done for the past 100 years."
It is thought to be the first time in the 100-year history of the national student organisation that a president has been suspended or fired.
In a tweet after her firing, Dallali said: "On the first day of Islamophobia Awareness Month, I find out I have been dismissed through Twitter. That is unacceptable."
A source rebutted the claim, telling the JC: "Those directly involved with the investigation were of course formally informed of the decision before anything was made public."
In a statement after yesterday's announcement, the Union of Jewish Students said: "UJS respects the decision of the National Union of Students to dismiss their President. Antisemitism in the student movement goes beyond the actions of any one individual and this case is a symptom of a wider problem.
"Jewish students across the country will be asking how an individual deemed unfit for office by NUS was elected in the first place. We await the findings of the substantive inquiry into NUS' treatment of Jewish students."
Chloe Field, VP of Higher Education, will step up as acting chair of the NUS UK Board and will push for more support for students amid the cost of living crisis, the NUS confirmed.
https://twitter.com/ShaimaDallali/status/1587498159357427712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1587498159357427712%7Ctwgr%5E910b4619e8fb4590a9dbda00f50345674aa14226%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Fshaima-dallali-sacked-as-nus-president-after-antisemitism-investigation-60pJUIaxpqtzEodLEN7EgU%3FreloadTime%3D1667323952172
Robert Halfon, a government minister in the Department for Education, tweeted: "Antisemitism is abhorrent and I welcome this verdict from the NUS.
"However, this is only the first step in addressing antisemitism allegations within the organisation and am very keen to see further action that they are taking concerns from Jewish students seriously."
Dallali, 27, was elected to lead the NUS for a two-year term from July after being elected by delegates at the organisation's national conference in March.
It then emerged that Dallali had posted provocative comments such as "Khaybar Khaybar O Jews... Muhammad's army will return Gaza" – a reference to a 628 massacre. She has apologised for the 2012 tweet, saying she was now "a different person".
In material passed to the JC earlier this year by researchers at Labour Against Antisemitism, it was revealed that she had labelled a cleric critical of Hamas a "dirty Zionist" and posted a video of anti-Israel protesters calling for an intifada.
And in a 2018 article, she praised Muslim Brotherhood cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi - who was expelled from Britain, America, France and Germany – calling him the "moral compass for the Muslim community at large".
The JC revealed in May that government ministers were demanding an investigation after it emerged that Dallali's election may have been invalid because she failed to commit to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
Facing huge public pressure, the NUS then announced in May that it had appointed Rebecca Tuck KC to conduct an independent investigation into Dallali, as well as allegations of institutional antisemitism at the organisation.
In an interview with the Guardian, Dallali said she welcomed the independent investigation, saying it was "the right thing to do. I know quite a few Jewish students feel alienated. This is the first step to start bridging the gap and reaching out to Jewish students and ensuring that Jewish students feel like they have a place in NUS."
Just hours after her suspension as president on 24 August, Dallali posted on Twitter: "Don't ever believe that an organisation is 'progressive' or cares about justice before finding out how they treat women of colour and/or Muslim women. Many enable oppression and Islamophobia. They will punish us for daring to be political and make us believe it's our fault."
Two weeks later, Dallali posted a lengthy thread on Twitter: "I always knew it would be difficult being a Black, Muslim woman in the public eye but the racist and Islamophobic abuse I have been subjected to and death threats I have received since becoming NUS president are not ok.
"I came into this role with so much hope and enthusiasm to build on the amazing work of the student movement and to serve students across the UK. Instead, I've been subjected to the most horrifying attacks on my character, my faith and my identity.
"No doubt, these attacks have taken a toll on my mental & physical health. But what keeps me going is the thousands of incredible students who elected me with an overwhelming majority. I was elected by them with the promise of serving them & that I would never give up on them."
She went on to allege that "There are those working tirelessly to make sure that women who look like me never feel welcomed or safe in public positions. I'm also working hard to make sure that no Black, Muslim women who assume this role in the future has to ever experience what I've experienced.
"I am proud to be Black. I'm proud to be Muslim and I'm proud to be serving students across the country who are facing some of the most difficult challenges that students have ever had to face."
The union has been engulfed by an antisemitism crisis with Jewish students citing a climate of fear on campus.
In May, the government announced it was cutting ties with NUS in the wake of accusations of "antisemitic rot at its heart".
Announcing the move, the Department for Education cited "allegations of antisemitism, which have been well-documented and span several years".
It noted that the allegations had caused "a feeling of insecurity amongst Jewish students across the country and a worry systemic antisemitism within the organisation is not being properly addressed".
I apologize for not doing enough to counter Anti-Gentile-ism when I was Younger.
jews force the BBC to propagandize Arabs.
At last! BBC apologises for its 'disdainful' treatment of Jewish concerns
Corporation finally says sorry for years of 'unacceptable' handling of complaints about anti-Israel bias in its Arabic output
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/at-last-bbc-apologises-for-its-'disdainful'-treatment-of-jewish-concerns-3Uo797FGdE4NfGyjMbGzqM?reloadTime=1667497395259
The BBC has apologised for years of "unacceptable" handling of complaints about anti-Israel bias in its Arabic output, which activists say represented a "disdainful" attitude towards Jewish concerns.
It is an early victory in the JC campaign to restore impartiality to the broadcaster. Our petition demanding a parliamentary inquiry into its coverage of Jews and Israel is approaching 6,000 signatures and can be signed at theJC.com/BBCPetition.
Since the Gaza war in May 2021, BBC responses to complaints about Israel coverage have taken up to a year, with some ignored completely.
Even when complaints are acknowledged and upheld, issuing corrections is often delayed further or in some cases is not done at all.
The BBC Charter requires a framework that provides "transparent, accessible, effective, timely and proportionate methods" of fixing problems.
According to BBC rules, this means addressing complaints within 10 working days when possible. But it has taken the BBC an average of four months to respond to a watchdog's complaints about its Israel coverage in Arabic, with half of complaints ignored.
In one case, the broadcaster took 12 months to accept an error in a report about holy sites in Jerusalem. Although the BBC acknowledged it, the mistake remains online more than two months later, and is still in place.
"Out of our 26 complaints, only seven received a proper, timely response and resolution," said a spokesperson for Camera, a media watchdog which monitors Arabic language media.
A BBC spokesperson said: "We apologise for the unacceptable delay and will ensure formal responses are issued as soon as possible."
Since May last year, 14 of Camera's 26 complaints were upheld by the BBC, with some corrections only acted upon after many weeks. None were rejected.
Furthermore, of the 26 complaints made by Camera since the Gaza war in May 2021, 14 received no response, though three of these were later quietly corrected without acknowledgement, the watchdog says.
Complaints that forced the BBC into humiliating U-turns included unfairly criticising Israel in a report about a homophobic murder of a Palestinian by other Palestinians; labelling Jewish visitors to Temple Mount "foreigners"; and referring to Jewish prayers as "Talmudic ritual", which carries extremely negative connotations in Arabic.
It comes amid mounting criticism of the BBC's dismissive attitude towards Jewish criticism following Director-General Tim Davie's belated, "vacuous" response last week to an open letter from 36 parliamentarians and public figures sent in September.
BBC Arabic has an audience of 36 million people worldwide and is seen as a voice of authority in the region, raising further fears that its repeated errors have "fanned the flames of hatred".
The delays are the tip of the iceberg. In once instance, the BBC admitted an error but failed to correct it. In two further examples, the correction was only partial and came with no official response.
A Camera spokesperson said: "The BBC's complaint system is unable to meet its own standards when it comes to content in Arabic about Israel and Jews. That the BBC's foreign language content is inadequately overseen by its management is a well-documented fact. Now we see that even when the Arabic-speaking BBC audience is trying to step in and do the management's work for it, we still face impassable obstacles."
The revelations will magnify concerns about the broadcaster's process for the handling of complaints, with an Ofcom investigation into its reporting of the Oxford Street Chanukah attack nearing completion, the JC understands.
A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is backing the JC's campaign, said: "As calls mount for a parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism at the BBC, this feels like a forced apology. For years, the BBC has shown a disdainful attitude towards Jewish concerns and failed to engage with the community's complaints.
"The rot has been festering for years and now needs to be drawn into the light of parliamentary scrutiny.
"The BBC is seen as an authoritative voice around the world, and it is disturbing to consider the extent to which the views expressed on BBC Arabic may have fanned the flames of hatred over the years."
Criticism of the BBC's failure to deal adequately with complaints on Jews and Israel is not new — and not confined to its Arabic channels.
Neil Turner, a non-Jewish project manager from Northampton, became involved in a dispute with the BBC in 2013 after he made numerous complaints regarding its coverage of Israel in English.
"The BBC's complaints system is designed to delay, obfuscate and demoralise those complaining," he told the JC. "Complaints can take weeks, months or years to get through the system.
"In the extremely unlikely event you are successful, they bury the findings and carry on as usual. As the complaints team is staffed by the BBC, and Ofcom is staffed by establishment types with BBC connections, you really have no chance of a fair hearing.
"They're unaccountable. Almost every day there's something misrepresenting or maligning or demonising Israel."
Barrister Jonathan Turner, Chief Executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, described the BBC's complaints system as "totally unfit for purpose".
Having submitted complaints himself, including in a high-profile case in 2007 concerning an article about the Six-Day War, he said: "Timings specified in their policies are ignored with impunity. Responses, if and when eventually given, are designed to fob off. Complaints handlers seem to regard it as their job to find reasons, however bad, to reject complaints, rather than to consider them objectively and use them to improve quality.
"In theory, there is now a right to appeal to Ofcom, but guess what? Nine out of 14 members of Ofcom's Content Board, which is responsible for considering complaints about content, are ex-BBC."
A BBC spokesperson said: "Our complaints team are in regular and direct contact with Camera Arabic who submit a comparatively large number of complaints to us each year. Whilst there has been dialogue on the complaints, we acknowledge that some of them have not yet been actioned or responded to with a formal outcome letter. We apologise for the unacceptable delay and will ensure formal responses are issued as soon as possible."
Kyrie Irving apologizes for antisemitism controversy after Brooklyn Nets suspend him
https://www.jta.org/2022/11/03/sports/kyrie-irving-was-asked-if-hes-antisemitic-he-didnt-say-no
Kyrie Irving apologizes for causing 'pain' for 'Jewish families and Communities'
Nov. 4, 9:13 a.m. — Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving posted an apology to his Instagram late Thursday night, hours after being suspended without pay for at least five games for failing to condemn antisemitism.
"To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize," Irving wrote in the post.
"I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary," Irving continued. He acknowledged that he shared the film without clarifying which parts he agreed with and which he did not, such as Holocaust denial. Irving said he had "no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust."
QuoteVanderbilt defensive backs coach Dan Jackson apologized Friday for a comment on Facebook that praised Kanye West for his recent spate of antisemitic comments, in which he said the rapper was "two steps ahead of everyone."
In an apology posted to Twitter, the assistant coach called his comment "careless" and affirmed that antisemitism has no place in society.
"I want to sincerely apologize for recent comments that I made on social media. While it was certainly not my intent to offend, my wording was careless. and it was in poor judgment to wade into such a discussion without the full context. My comments were in no way reflective of our program or university and I accept full responsibility for my words and will learn from this experience going forward.
Jackson's full apology:
"To be clear, antisemitism has no place in our society. and I reject all forms of hate. I'm embarrassed by my mistake but proud to work at a diverse institution where we can learn from each other's cultures. I promise to be better moving forward for myself, our program and our institution."
Full story here:
Vanderbilt University Football Coach Causes Outrage for Praising Kanye West https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-122/vanderbilt-university-football-coach-causes-outrage-for-praising-kanye-west
KFC Germany apologizes for 'treat yourself' chicken promotion tied to Kristallnacht
https://www.jta.org/2022/11/09/global/kfc-germany-apologizes-for-treat-yourself-chicken-promotion-tied-to-kristallnacht
The German branch of international fast-food chain KFC apologized to customers Wednesday for sending out a promotional message tied to the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the evening of Nazi-led antisemitic riots that precipitated the mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust.
"It's memorial day for Kristallnacht! Treat yourself with more tender cheese on your crispy chicken," KFC Germany said in an initial push notification message to customers, in German, advertising its "KFCheese."
A short time after, the chain sent a follow-up in all-caps: "SORRY WE MADE A MISTAKE." The company blamed the message on "a bug in our system."
Germany takes the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the "night of broken glass," seriously, even though Germans do not call the event by that name. Memorial events and discussions take place nationwide each year on Nov. 9-10 to reflect on Nazi Germany's persecution of Jews.
Reaction to KFC's "mistake" came swiftly. Daniel Sugarman, director of public affairs for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, tweeted that the promotion was "absolutely hideous." Arsen Ostrovsky, head of the pro-Israel legal group International Legal Forum, said he was "utterly speechless and repulsed."
Meanwhile, another German institution came under fire for a Kristallnacht controversy this year. Goethe-Institut Israel, the Israeli location of the German language and cultural center, rescheduled a planned panel discussion on "the Holocaust, Nakba and German Remembrance Culture" that had been set to take place on the anniversary of the violence. The "Nakba" is the common Palestinian term for the mass displacement and deaths that accompanied the State of Israel's 1948 War of Independence.
Israel's Foreign Ministry had criticized the Goethe-Institut for linking the Holocaust to the founding of the State of Israel on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, calling it "the blatant cheapening of Holocaust and the cynical and manipulative attempt to create a linkage whose entire purpose is to defame Israel."
(https://images.ctfassets.net/tyagww523muq/4XcfO6HdOa2fTipGAYrsob/97d409a9c6300522193de29e6e7d6135/food_truck_.jpg?w=1045&h=588&q=50&fit=fill&f=faces)
The menu showing the Ann Frankfurter plant-based hot dog.
Caterer apologises after criticism of 'Anne Frankfurter' menu item
The plant-based business named their vegan hotdog after the murdered schoolgirl
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/caterer-apologises-after-criticism-of-anne-frankfurter-menu-item-7xLu4VV7DKVsQu294CA2Bm?reloadTime=1670950105272
A caterer has apologised after backlash to an inappropriately named menu item cost them a job.
Screenshots of a menu from The Viva Veggie Van, a plant-based caterer from the West Midlands showing the "Anne Frankfurter" plant-based hotdog were posted on Twitter yesterday, illiciting a fierce backlash online.
The £7 hot dog, which is served with raw onions, mustard, and relish was due to be served at the Birmingham Brewery Company taproom this weekend, but in a statement, the brewers distanced themselves from the veggie chefs saying: "A menu was shared last night by a 3rd party vendor who was booked to trade at our brewery tap room this weekend.
"We did not have sight of the menu before it was published and agree that the name of one of the dishes is totally inappropriate. The trader will not be trading with us."
After the picture of the menu was posted, local residents on Twitter voiced their concern about the dish, criticising both the caterers and the brewery for hosting them.
A local journalist described the menu item as "vile and senseless" and called on Birmingham brewery to distance themselves from it.
Maria Finn, the owner of viva veggie van told the JC that she didn't mean any offense by the name. She said: "I can't believe what's happened, It was just playing with words, something to stand out, this business is me and my daughter.
"We never meant to upset anyone, I'm not a controversial person."
She also attempted to back up the naming of the dish, saying: "Anne Frank was from Germany, from Frankfurt, and she didn't eat meat."
Finn also hit out at the brewery's reaction saying that she had already ordered food for the three-day event this weekend and the cancellation is leaving her massively out of pocket.
She described the losses as "A massive hit" saying: "This was going to be our first event, I got made redundant during covid and started the business with my daughter.
"We just wanted to do a small event before Christmas, we've ordered all our food now and there's no other festivals this weekend for us to sell at. I'm very disappointed."
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust told the JC in a statement: "Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl forced into hiding for two years before being deported to Auschwitz and then Bergen-Belsen where she died.
"To use the name of a Holocaust victim as a marketing ploy will never be appropriate."
Minneapolis Councilman Apologizes for Antisemitic, Homophobic Social Media Posts
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-125/minneapolis-councilman-apologizes-for-antisemitic-homophobic-social-media-posts
Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman has apologized for making antisemitic and anti-gay comments on Facebook from 2011 to 2013, calling Israelis "dogs" and speaking approvingly of Hitler.
Osman, who was elected in the 6th Ward in a special election in 2020 and is up for re-election in 2023, took to Facebook in October 2012 to argue in favor of a proposed constitutional amendment that would have banned gay marriage.
He also wrote, "Voting yes means you against this discussing (sic) act" and said gay marriage "will invite end of days."
The following month, Osman wrote in Somali, "May god damn these non-Muslims" and CNN for "kissing Israel's a**. Jews will never be pleased unless you follow their ways."
After someone agreed with him, Osman replied in Somali, "Where's Hitler when you need him?"
In September 2011, Osman wrote on Facebook, "We live in the United States of Israel" and said former President Barack Obama shouldn't get the Nobel Peace Prize, calling him a "slave of the Jewish lobby, AIPAC. LONG LIVE PALESTINE!"
AIPAC is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group that advocates for pro-Israel policies in America.
In January 2013, Osman posted a video from a pro-Palestine website about "Israeli Jews assaulting Africans in Tel Aviv" and wrote "I can see why Palestinians don't want (to) share land with these dogs."
Osman has said on social media he plans to run for re-election.
Asked about the posts, Osman apologized in a statement to the Reformer.
"Over a decade ago I made comments about the Jewish community, Israel, and the GLBTQ+ community on social media. I explicitly and absolutely repudiate and disavow everything about these comments. It does not reflect how I feel about Jewish people or faith or the GLBTQ+ community. The friends and allies I have in the both of these communities expect more of me, and I am sorry to them."
Osman said he doesn't recall making the comments, but said "The heat of social media has a tendency to invite inflamed commentary, responses when you're ignorant about issues, and sometimes to depersonalize and dehumanize the people who you interact with."
The posts were deleted in October, after the Reformer reported on his wife's connections to a child nutrition program that federal prosecutors say is riddled with fraud.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released a statement saying Osman's comments were "divisive and dangerous for Jewish and LGBTQ people." He said Osman "apologized unequivocally and expressed deep remorse."
"I forgive him, and trust he has learned from this," Frey said. "In the age of social media, our public discourse can benefit both from recognizing our common humanity before making such comments and from forgiveness for people who make a sincere effort to repair harm they have caused."
Osman said he's grown and passed through several life stages since he wrote the posts. He graduated from college, got married and was exposed to diverse communities.
"Our neighbors deserve dignity and respect in all forms," he said. "I have been shown countless examples of that in the years since these comments. These comments could not be further from how I hope to conduct myself every day on the council."
He apologized to his constituents and his colleagues, particularly Mayor Jacob Frey (who is Jewish), Council President Andrea Jenkins (a transgender woman), Council Member Lisa Goodman (who is Jewish), Council Member Jason Chavez (who is gay) and to his aide Sean Broom (who has a Jewish family member).
"The things written hurt them individually and I am sorry for any ignorance I had and hope my growth since is evident to them and that they will continue to help me grow and learn," he said.
Another candidate running for the seat, Abdirizak Bihie, has also publicly condemned gay marriage. He encouraged people to vote for the anti-gay marriage amendment in 2012 and to oppose Keith Ellison, who at the time was the DFL congressman from the 5th District.
"If he was a real Muslim he wouldn't support men marrying each other," Bihi wrote of Ellison, who is Muslim. Bihi did not answer a call and his voicemail box was full. His posts were still on Facebook as of Monday.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, Muslim cultural norms and traditional readings of sacred texts often support a "heteronormative binary of gender identification and sexual orientation." More than half of American Muslims, however, said "society should approve of homosexuality" according to a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center.
Tiger Worku and Kayseh Magan have also announced plans to run for the Ward 6 seat.
Osman could face a tough reelection. His wife, Ilo Amba, incorporated a nonprofit that reported feeding 2,500 children per day under a federal program that's been rocked by allegations of fraud. Amba incorporated Urban Advantage Services in November 2020, registering its office at the south Minneapolis home she shares with Osman, and the nonprofit received $461,533 in federal reimbursements in 2020 and 2021. Amba applied for two more distribution sites, which were among 213 sites denied by the state this year.
Urban Advantage's food distribution site was sponsored by Partners in Nutrition, a St. Paul nonprofit that state regulators shut down after some of the sites it sponsored were charged in connection with the $250 million fraud case.
Osman also took his name off another nonprofit called Stigma-Free International and turned it over to others who went on to bilk the feds of over $10 million for sites throughout Minnesota, prosecutors say. Neither Osman nor Amba has been charged with a crime.
Oops...she did it again.
Whoopi Goldberg Apologizes After Uproar Over Latest Holocaust Comments: 'I Always Stood With the Jewish People and Always Will'
"It was never my intention to appear as if I was doubling down on hurtful comments," comedian says
https://www.thewrap.com/whoopi-goldberg-apologizes-after-uproar-over-latest-holocaust-comments-i-always-stood-with-the-jewish-people-and-always-will/
Following criticism from the Anti-Defamation League of comments she made in a recent interview with a British newspaper about Jewish people and race, Whoopi Goldberg has issued a clarification and apology.
"Recently while doing press in London, I was asked about my comments from earlier this year. I tried to convey to the reporter what I had said and why, and attempted to recount that time. It was never my intention to appear as if I was doubling down on hurtful comments, especially after talking with and hearing people like rabbis and old and new friends weighing in," Goldberg said in a statement released Tuesday.
"I'm still learning a lot and believe me, I heard everything everyone said to me. I believe that the Holocaust was about race, and I am still as sorry now as I was then that I upset, hurt and angered people. My sincere apologies again, especially to everyone who thought this was a fresh rehash of the subject. I promise it was not. In this time of rising antisemitism, I want to be very clear when I say that I always stood with the Jewish people and always will. My support for them has not wavered and never will," she continued.
In an interview with the Sunday Times published on Dec. 24, Goldberg was asked about the comments she made earlier in 2022 that got her suspended from "The View" for 2 weeks. At that time, Goldberg, while in no way denying the holocaust or minimizing antisemitism, expressed the view that the holocaust "wasn't about race." Her reasoning was that Jewish people are white and can pass in white society in ways Black people cannot, though this view obviously reflects America's history of racism and not Nazi beliefs about Jewish people that motivated the holocaust.
Asked about that matter by the Sunday Times, Goldberg tried to explain the situation and clarify those comments, unsuccessfully as it turns out. Those new comments were picked up by several right wing media outlets and the uproar was reignited. On Tuesday, ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt condemned Goldberg's latest comments in a statement posted on Twitter.
Apprentice contestant apologises for selling Nazi memorabilia
Gregory Ebbs' Raven Yard Antiques has come under fire from community groups
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/apprentice-contestant-apologises-for-selling-nazi-memorabilia-3bKQTYpXQhaMiWAxQSHXoF?reloadTime=1673972897452
A candidate in this year's series of BBC reality show The Apprentice has apologised after criticism for stocking Nazi memorabilia in his online antiques shop.
Gregory Ebbs, who describes himself as a "Food Lover" and "Military History Buff" was forced to apologise after he was found to be selling a Nazi-era dagger emblazoned with a swastika.
Both the Campaign Against Antisemitism and the Board of Deputies criticised the decision to sell the weapon with CAA saying that Ebbs was "facilitating the sale of artefacts synonymous with death to sick collectors."
The blade, which was sold for £725 earlier this month, is believed to date from before the war and belonged to a German army officer. It was listed for sale by a third party on Mr Ebbs' website.
In a statement, Ebbs said: "I in no way condone or wish to be looking to be celebrating this abhorrent and shameful part of history and I apologise for any offence caused.
"My online business is an antique marketplace where independent sellers have a platform to sell a wide range of antiques, memorabilia & militaria from many different periods of history. The item in question was sold by a third-party vendor.
"This type of memorabilia is not something I would personally sell or stock. The website is relatively new and I will be looking to implement stricter vetting procedures for third-party vendors."
On the BBC's Apprentice website, LIb Dem councillor Ebbs says his peculiar habits would be his strength in the show, boasting: "I would say my willingness to try different things, and being slightly more unusual than most is a massive plus."
Good "Nazi" that he is, here he is at the Sydney Jewish Museum. <:^0 :lmao:
(https://www.jta.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-18-23-Dominic-Perrottet-2048x1138.jpg)
Dominic Perrottet addresses the media outside the Sydney Jewish Museum, Jan. 12, 2023
Australian politician under fire for wearing Nazi uniform at 21st birthday party
https://www.jta.org/2023/01/18/global/australian-politician-under-fire-for-wearing-nazi-uniform-at-21st-birthday-party
Dominic Perrottet, the premier of the Australian state of New South Wales and a leading member of the country's center-right Liberal Party, is facing harsh criticism after news surfaced that he wore a Nazi costume during his 21 birthday party, nearly 20 years ago.
Perrottet apologized during a conference he called outside of the Sydney Jewish Museum last Thursday, but critics complained that he did not disclose the incident years earlier. He told the Australian Jewish News on Wednesday that he was "deeply ashamed" by the incident and claimed that he considered admitting to the act in 2021, while giving the museum $6.25 million of state funds, or while working to pass a ban Nazi symbols last year.
"I knew the hurt the truth of this terrible mistake that I made would bring, to particularly the Jewish community," he said.
Perrottet has claimed that he did not know what the uniform was at the time but was educated about it by his parents after returning home from the party. The news has made headlines across Australia and beyond, and reports are swirling that Perrottet's position could be in peril.
Around 50,000 Jews, including some 2,000 Holocaust survivors, live in the state of New South Wales, where Australia's second-largest Jewish community, in Sydney, is located.
"We've had members of the community in tears over this particular incident," NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark told the ABC, Australia's main broadcaster.
But he also praised Perrottet.
"The premier has been a staunch supporter and friend of the NSW Jewish community throughout his time in public life," Bark said, pointing out that perrottet had supported Holocaust education during his time in office.
Perrottet told the Australian Jewish News that he is looking into creating an easier way for primary school students to report bullying and that he wants to allocate more funds for the Sydney Jewish Museum.
"My focus now is to really ensure that what occurred all those years ago becomes a force of good for our young people moving forward," Perrottet said.
Rep. Ilhan Omar: "I Wasn't Aware of The Fact That There Are Tropes About Jews and Money" https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=63574
Minnesota Rep Ilhan Omar (D) apologized once again for her past criticisms of Is
rael during a struggle session with CNN's Dana Bash and California Rep Adam Schiff (D) on Sunday.
Watch:
Partial transcript:
QuoteBash: So when you apologized for the "All about the Benjamins" comment, you said, "anti-Semitism is real, and I'm grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes." What did you learn?
Omar: A lot. I certainly did not, or was not aware, that the word "hypnotized" was a trope. I wasn't aware of the fact that there are tropes about Jews and money. That has been a very enlightening part of this journey. To insinuate that I knowingly said these things when people have read into my comments to make it sound as if I have something against the Jewish community is so wrong. If you remember when I first got elected to Congress, it was when the FBI report came out about the rise of anti-Semitism. As the Rep-elected, the first op-ed I wrote was on that report, which I talked about how it was important for us as a community to coalesce around the Jewish community and fight against anti-Semitism. I voted for every single resolution. No Republican can say that. Condemning anti-Semitism. My work is clear, and the collaboration and work that I do with my Jewish colleagues is very clear...
Notice how Omar's never been asked by the media to condemn her past anti-white comments?
"I would say our country should be more fearful of white men across our country because they are actually causing most of the deaths within this country, and so if fear was the driving force of policies to keep America safe, Americans safe inside of this country, we should be profiling, monitoring, and creating policies to fight the radicalization of white men," Omar said in an interview with Al-Jazeera in 2018.
https://twitter.com/mollyfprince/status/1154039284950716419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1154039284950716419%7Ctwgr%5E55a344eb7ad139d4fc382ea03231106bcb4094f3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.informationliberation.com%2F%3Fid%3D63574
She's never apologized for any of them and Republican leaders like Kevin McCarthy -- who take great offense to her criticisms of Israel -- never asked her to.
Islamic group sorry for branding synagogue a 'place of non-believers'
EXCLUSIVE: Dawat-e-Islami, the movement buying Wembley United Synagogue, has "apologised profusely" after distributing offensive fundraising flyers.https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/islamic-group-sorry-for-branding-synagogue-a-place-of-non-believers/
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The Islamic movement buying Wembley United Synagogue has "apologised profusely" after its fundraising flyers sought help to purchase "a place of worship of non-believers".
Dawat-e-Islami, a global Sunni Muslim group founded in Pakistan, caused a wave of upset across social media sites including Facebook's 'Friends of Wembley Shul' in recent days. The synagogue received a written apology on Wednesday morning.
In an email sent to Wembley Synagogue chair Charles Vitez from Dawat-e-Islami's head of London region, a copy of which has been seen by Jewish News, Hasan Ali Safdar said: "I am writing to apologise for the hurt caused by our leaflet this week."
He said: "The wording on the leaflet stated the building is 'a former place of worship of non-believers', which was referring to non-believers of Islam i.e. any other religion. The wording was never intended to cause any offence.
"We have removed this text from the campaign immediately and apologise profusely for any offence it may have caused... We will not distribute the old leaflets and will only use the amended material."
The United Synagogue's sale of the 14,500 sq. ft. building is close to completion, the two parties having already exchanged. Dawat-e-Islami established a presence in the UK in 1995 and now has a network of around 40 Islamic centres and schools.
In December, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis attended a farewell service at the shul on Forty Avenue, whose membership has dropped from 1,800 in the 1960s to about 150 families today, in part due to the shifting focus of north London's Jewish community.
The building was listed for sale for £4m, but the Dawat-e-Islami leaflets cited a £5m fundraising project, believed to include the estimated cost of refurbishment. In November 2020, the shul bought a smaller purpose-built site nearby.
David Collins, the United Synagogue's chief operating officer, told Jewish News: "We are pleased that the trustees of Dawat-e-Islami UK immediately recognised the hurt caused by the offensive language on their fundraising flyer. We are also glad that they have apologised to the members of Wembley United Synagogue and by extension the wider community, and have ordered a reprint of the flyer and removal of online content which contained the same language.
"The United Synagogue has robust due diligence processes. The buyer was selected after a full marketing exercise for the sale. All the serious bids for the property came from other faith groups and following due diligence, the highest bidder was chosen as would be expected by the Charity Commission. In anticipation of the sale, we had already purchased and refurbished a new, fit-for-purpose site for Wembley United Synagogue and we look forward to supporting them to make the move and celebrate their first Shabbat in the new shul soon. We will invest the remainder of the proceeds in planned capital projects in our newer and growing communities."
https://twitter.com/JewishChron/status/1620807294593421312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1620807294593421312%7Ctwgr%5Eb771ddb53c1f9b32a0a9a5c5204b4db8662a7af9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Flabour-mp-apologises-unreservedly-for-calling-israeli-government-fascist-4n1lgLqPw2JqvhYGkKFNwk%3FreloadTime%3D1675268217126
https://twitter.com/realBenBloch/status/1620792797300424704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1620792797300424704%7Ctwgr%5Eb771ddb53c1f9b32a0a9a5c5204b4db8662a7af9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Flabour-mp-apologises-unreservedly-for-calling-israeli-government-fascist-4n1lgLqPw2JqvhYGkKFNwk%3FreloadTime%3D1675268217126
Labour MP apologises 'unreservedly' for calling Israeli government 'fascist'
Kim Johnson urged Rishi Sunak to condemn the actions of the Israeli government without mentioning Palestinian terror
https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/labour-mp-apologises-unreservedly-for-calling-israeli-government-fascist-4n1lgLqPw2JqvhYGkKFNwk?reloadTime=1675268217126
Labour MP Kim Johnson has apologised "unreservedly" for calling the Israeli government "fascist" at Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) earlier today.
Ms Johnson used the descriptor towards the end of PMQs on Wednesday, and asked the prime minister how he is "challenging" Israel on alleged human rights violations against Palestinians while failing to mention the terror attacks on Israeli civilians just days ago.
A Labour spokesperson slammed Ms Johnson's comments as "completely unacceptable", and after a meeting with the Chief Whip following PMQs, Ms Johnson apologised in the House of Commons and withdrew her assertion that Israel is an "apartheid state".
Speaking towards the end of PMQs today, Kim Johnson MP asked: "Since the election of the fascist Israeli government in the election last year, there has been an increase in human rights violations against Palestinian civilians, including children. So, can the prime minister tell us how he is challenging what Amnesty and other human rights organisations are referring to as 'an apartheid state'?"
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded: "Well, Mr Speaker, the honourable lady also failed to mention the horrific attacks on civilians inside Israel as well, and it's important in this matter to remain calm and urge all sides to strive for peace, and that's very much what I will do as prime minister and in the conversations that I've had with the Israeli prime minister."
On Friday, seven Israelis were killed outside a Jerusalem synagogue after a gunman opened fire. A 14-year-old boy and a married couple who ran to help the victims of the attack were among those killed.
In response to the comments, a Labour Party spokesperson said: "Kim Johnson's words were completely unacceptable.
"Labour sees the relationship with Israel as an important one, and Keir is committed to strengthening that."
Shortly after 2:30pm, Ms Johnson raised a point of order in the House of Commons and apologised for her comments, saying: "I would like to apologise unreservedly for the intemperate language that I used during PMQs. I was wrong to use the term 'fascist' in relation to the Israeli government and understand why this was particularly insensitive given the history of the State of Israel.
"And while there are far-right elements in the government, I recognise that the use of the term in this context was wrong. I would also like to apologise for the use of the term 'apartheid state'. While I was quoting accurately Amnesty's description, I recognise this is insensitive and I'd like to withdraw it."
Ms Johnson is the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, and she succeeded Jewish MP Louise Ellman, who left the party in October 2019 citing allegations of antisemitism. She rejoined the party in 2021.
Ms Johnson was elected to Parliament in December 2019, becoming Liverpool's first black MP. She is a member of Parliament's Socialist Campaign Group, and is a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, welcoming the party's decision to reinstate his membership in November 2020 (although he still does not have the Labour whip).
She sparked controversy in July 2021 by claiming that her predecessor Dame Louise Ellman "was not forced out" of the party by antisemitism, which Ms Ellman described as "gaslighting".
Ms Johnson later said that it was never her intention to negate Dame Louise's experience.
Quote from: yankeedoodle on November 04, 2022, 04:54:35 PM
Kyrie Irving apologizes for antisemitism controversy after Brooklyn Nets suspend him
https://www.jta.org/2022/11/03/sports/kyrie-irving-was-asked-if-hes-antisemitic-he-didnt-say-no
Kyrie Irving apologizes for causing 'pain' for 'Jewish families and Communities'
Nov. 4, 9:13 a.m. — Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving posted an apology to his Instagram late Thursday night, hours after being suspended without pay for at least five games for failing to condemn antisemitism.
"To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize," Irving wrote in the post.
"I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary," Irving continued. He acknowledged that he shared the film without clarifying which parts he agreed with and which he did not, such as Holocaust denial. Irving said he had "no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust."
Here's something you don't see every day: an apology deletion. Kyrie Irving says he has Jewish family members, stands by deleting apology posthttps://www.jta.org/2023/02/08/sports/kyrie-irving-says-he-has-jewish-family-members-stands-by-deleting-apology-post
NBA star Kyrie Irving's tenure in Brooklyn has come to an end, but the drawn-out saga over his antisemitism scandal apparently has not.
NBA reporter Sam Amick pointed out in a podcast published Tuesday that Irving had deleted his November Instagram post apologizing for sharing an antisemitic film on Twitter.
Irving had been suspended by the Brooklyn Nets for at least five games after he refused to apologize for the post and instead said "I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from."
During a press conference on Tuesday, as a new member of Jewish owner Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks, he was asked about his decision to delete the post.
https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1623070448648073216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1623070448648073216%7Ctwgr%5Efd47a3d4863734dac19057190e6eeeb3234d61c8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jta.org%2F2023%2F02%2F08%2Fsports%2Fkyrie-irving-says-he-has-jewish-family-members-stands-by-deleting-apology-post
"I delete things all the time and it's no disrespect to anyone within the community," Irving said.
When asked if he stands by the apology, Irving ultimately said yes — after sharing new information about his family.
"I stand by who I am and why I apologized. I did it because I care about my family and I have Jewish members of my family that care for me deeply," Irving said. "Did the media know that beforehand, when they called me that word — antisemitic? No. Did they know anything about my family? No. Everything was assumed."
He continued: "I reacted instead of responding emotionally maturely. I didn't mean to be defensive or go at anybody. I stand by my apology and I stand by my people."
It is unclear which members of Irving's family are Jewish, or if the assertion is an expression of the Black Hebrew Israelite ideology promoted in the film he shared, which includes the claim that African Americans are the genealogical descendants of the ancient Israelites.
Such ideology has received increased attention in recent months, as a result of Irving's controversy and the antisemitic outbursts from Kanye West, the rapper who now goes by Ye.
"I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew," West tweeted in October.
During Irving's media appearance Tuesday, a reporter asked if the Jewish members of his family spoke to him about the film he shared, and whether they were hurt by his decision to promote it.
Irving demurred, and restated his oft-repeated line about knowing "where I come from."
"I've had a lot of conversations about world history," he said. "What was contained in there was contained in there. I didn't agree with everything. I've been up here saying that."
He continued by again criticizing the media, suggesting that if "specific media members actually cared to do research — instead of being the first to report things — then they would know where I come from."
This basketball player apologized almost two years ago, but he is still being forced to grovel.
QuoteLeonard apologized the following day, writing, "I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday. While I didn't know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong."
NBA player Meyers Leonard opens up on his antisemitism scandal to Jewish ESPN reporter https://www.jta.org/2023/01/31/sports/nba-player-meyers-leonard-opens-up-on-his-antisemitism-scandal-to-jewish-espn-reporter
Nearly two years after NBA player Meyers Leonard was caught using an antisemitic slur on a video game platform, the former first-round pick opened up about the incident and his subsequent journey toward forgiveness in an interview with Jewish ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap.
"I know that I made a huge, huge mistake," Leonard told Schaap, an 11-time Emmy winner who has produced other Jewish-themed content for ESPN. "And like, how in the world did this ever happen? I couldn't harm a fly."
Leonard, then a member of the Miami Heat, used the word "kike" while livestreaming a "Call of Duty" video game on the Twitch streaming platform in March 2021. The backlash was swift: Leonard was suspended by the Heat and fined by the league. He was then traded and released.
Leonard apologized the following day, writing, "I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday. While I didn't know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong."
The 7-footer was also injured at the time of the incident, and hasn't played in the NBA since. But now he is healthy and attempting a comeback, having recently worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schaap spoke to Leonard for the ESPN Daily podcast, relaying the experience to host Pablo Torre.
Leonard, who said he has not yet forgiven himself, told Schaap about the toll the mistake took on him, which included needing 24-hour security because of threats made against him and his family. He even thought about ending his life.
"I felt like I had just destroyed my life and everything that I had worked for, to be honest," Leonard said.
Torre framed the Leonard episode in the context of Kyrie Irving's recent antisemitism scandal, saying Irving "became the new face of the foremost antisemitism scandal, in not just NBA history, but modern sports history."
Schaap alluded to the recent rise in antisemitism across the United States, including the deadly 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. "This has been, the last several years, a time at which the Jewish community has felt more under attack than it has in a long time," Schaap said.
Schaap said he began his interview by asking if Leonard knew what he was saying when he used the slur.
"Absolutely not," Leonard said. "Again, there are absolutely no excuses for what happened that day, and ignorance, sadly, is a very real thing. And that's what I was."
Leonard added that he likely learned the word from being active in online gaming, which is often a hotbed for antisemitism and other forms of hate.
Schaap and Torre provided a brief history and explanation of the slur, and Schaap said he was inclined to believe Leonard when he said he did not know its meaning.
"I talked to younger Jewish people from metropolitan areas who said they had never heard the word, and that was shocking to me," said Schaap. "Now Meyers Leonard, of course, had heard the word, because he used it, which is different. But it does seem highly plausible to me, knowing all these younger Jewish people who don't know what the word means, that he didn't know what it means."
Schaap and Leonard also retraced the timeline of the controversy, from the moment he uttered the word online to his engagement with the local Jewish community in South Florida. Just days after the incident, Leonard met with Pinny Andrusier, a rabbi affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in nearby Broward County.
"You're a good man with a good soul," Leonard recalled Andrusier telling him. "This happened for you, not to you. You'll understand eventually."
From there, Leonard met others in the local community, including Holocaust survivors, and also met with representatives from the Anti-Defamation League and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.
Schaap asked Leonard if he had absorbed anything from Jewish culture or tradition into his own life. His answer: love.
"Walk outside your door, love people," Leonard said. "Be kind. Forgive. Through a big mistake of mine, I met a loving community. I met people who had been through extremely difficult times, yet they loved me. And they wanted me to love myself."
The word "apology" isn't used, but resigning is the same thing, only worse.
Essex cricket chairman resigns following JC investigation
Azeem Akhtar liked a string of 'indefensible' tweets but was cleared of antisemitism by an independent review
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/essex-cricket-chairman-resigns-following-jc-investigation-1wYV1P6g4e97udT1FuDq8J?reloadTime=1676990897626
The chairman of Essex County Cricket Club has decided to step down following an investigation into social media posts sparked by a JC investigation.
Azeem Akhtar endorsed comments that the "Zionist lobby" has "oversized" control of the media and a string of other inflammatory social media posts.
The former board member of Sport England also "liked" on Twitter a defence of comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany, and another post that celebrated athletes boycotting the Jewish state.
In a statement published on Monday, Essex said they respected Mr Akhtar's "integrity" and stressed their due diligence process had found "no evidence" of antisemitism or racism by him."
It added: "The Club acknowledges again Azeem's all-round skill set and strength of character for the leadership role for which he was selected and is sorry to announce his resignation."
After Mr Akhtar's social media activity was revealed by the JC in December of last year, Essex launched an independent review while he stepped aside.
It has now concluded that Mr Akhtar was "supportive of the Islamic faith and beliefs as opposed to being antisemitic or indicating any other forms of racism."
Mr Akhtar said: "These last few weeks have been very difficult for my family and me. This has taken a toll on us and I am determined to do justice to my other professional and personal commitments.
"I am passionately committed to fighting all kinds of discrimination whether that be antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other kind of prejudice.
"As concluded, my social media activity is reflective of my religious and political affiliations and the strong humanitarian stance I take on conflicts around the world.
"ECCC must lead the way with utmost sincerity in being a genuinely diverse and inclusive club. I wish ECCC the very best for the coming season and will continue to support the team as I have done every season since I was a boy."
Mr Akhtar was the club's first ethnic minority chairman and was appointed 12 months after a racism scandal led to the ousting of his predecessor. His appointment was intended to "signal the beginning of a new era for the club" following the row.
Speaking in December, the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "Several of the tweets 'liked' by Azeem Akhtar breach the International Definition of Antisemitism.
"Essex County Cricket Club must investigate Mr Akhtar's social media activity immediately, lest cricket start to become a breeding ground for antisemitism denial."
Several of the comments endorsed by him, they added, were "indefensible".
A tweet posted on May 23 2021 and liked by Mr Akhtar declared: "It is not offensive to say that the Pro–Israel and Zionist lobby have deep pockets and oversized influence/control over the media.
"What happened to Emily Wilder, the Hadids, Dua Lipa and others proves this."
A photo posted in December 2021 of Jewish anti-racism campaigner Rachel Riley and liked by Mr Akhtar had the caption "#ShameOnRachelRileyForever". The accompanying picture showed the television star wearing a T-shirt that read: "Jeremy Corbyn is a racist endeavour."
The cricket boss also liked a tweet posted in May that claimed: "Comparing Israel with Nazis is not antisemitic. In fact, many Jewish people have done so themselves."
Mr Akhtar also signalled his approval of Algerian athlete Fathi Nurin withdrawing from the Olympics to avoid competing against an Israeli athlete in a "like" posted in July 2021.
Another tweet liked by Mr Akhtar said: "Zionism has very little connection with Judaism but very close relationship with fascism and white supremacy (sic)."
Speaking to the JC at the time, Mr Akhtar said he was "vehemently" not antisemitic and had liked the tweets because he was upset about killings in Israel and Palestine.
NYC Legal Aid Group Forced to Apologize, Pay $170K Over Antisemitism Harassment
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-135/jrlfw5m6wr728orbex363dxzjttpl0
A New York City taxpayer-funded legal aid group condemned for a 2014 "kill the NYPD" rap video and a 2021 director's email blasting Israel and cops have now been forced to issue an apology and a $170,000 settlement for alleged discrimination against a Jewish staffer, The Post has learned.
"You may remember that I was called a racist, a colonizer, and a Karen [slang for an entitled white person], and I was told that I was worse than the dirt under your feet and that my children were murderers," former Bronx Defenders staffer Debbie Jonas said in an email Wednesday to the politically charged legal assistance group's employees informing them about the settlement.
Jonas, a Zionist Jew, has children with dual citizenship in Israel and the U.S. who have served in Israel's Defense Forces. "I was cursed and badgered until I could no longer stand the hostility," said Jonas, who worked at Bronx Defenders for eight years.
While Bronx Defenders admitted to no lawful wrongdoing in the confidential settlement, its executive director, Justine Olderman, issued a heartfelt apology, and the firm has agreed to provide antisemitism training to all employees provided by the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.
Jonas praised Olderman's "courage" and "humility" for issuing the "since" apology. She said after subtracting legal expenses, she will donate a total of $40,000 to charities in Israel: Shurst Hadin, Tobeka, Yad L'isha, Technoda, and Bet Izzy Shapiro.
"Of course, this represents a great victory in the effort to combat Jew-hatred," said Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, who took up Jonas' cause. "But this saga also serves as a vital example of just how pervasive antisemitism is in every sector of society and as a lesson on the necessity for Jewish victims to fight for justice if there are ever to be meaningful consequences."
The Post first reported in June 2021 that Shannon Cumberbatch, director of Bronx Director's Office of Equity and Institutional Transformation, blasted Israel, the "US empire" and even the NYPD during an ongoing dispute with Palestinians in Gaza in an official email — likening the situation in the Middle East to "sanctioned genocide" against blacks and native Americans in America.
In her letter as part of the settlement, Olderman apologized for the staffers' mistreatment of Jonas. "I feel a special kind of shame for not speaking up in the face of internal emails containing hateful personal attacks on you and your family," Olderman said.
Bronx Defenders "stands for the fundamental principle of treating people, whether clients, community members, or staff, with compassion, care, and dignity; I am personally sorry and ashamed that both I and the organization I lead did not live up to those values," she told Jonas.
Bronx Defenders — which has obtained more than $300 million in city and state funding over the past decade to represent poor defendants in criminal and civil cases — previously came under fire in 2014 when two of its staffers appeared in a vile online rap video that urged black people to kill NYPD cops, and a DOI investigation found that staffers lied about their role in the video.
Here's an apology to remember. The jews were arguing about their fucking "holohoax," and one jew called another jew an asshole, and was forced to apologize. <:^0 <lol>
(https://images.ctfassets.net/tyagww523muq/1hY2qgbyq8Sue9EZFe5f3o/c7ddc421fca007d9b064577f2ac16ee3/Untitled_design__46__censored.jpg?w=1045&h=588&q=90&fit=fill&f=faces)
The now deleted tweet sent from the Board of Deputies' official account
Board of Deputies apologises for tweet calling journalist an 'a******'The now deleted tweet criticising Jewish journalist Rachel Shabi was apparently sent from the wrong account
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/board-of-deputies-apologises-for-tweet-calling-journalist-an-a-7LtHi48tKkUwEhz3gKauLo?reloadTime=1678716349802
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has apologised after a tweet was sent from its official account calling a Jewish journalist an "a******".
The since deleted tweet on Saturday night was in response to journalist Rachel Shabi's comments on Holocaust eduction.
The tweet read: "Rachel Shabi telling the head of the Holocaust Education Trust that she's plainly wrong about er, the Holocaust, is the definition of chutzpah. The shamelessness of this a******." (Stars added by the JC).
https://twitter.com/BoardofDeputies/status/1634869565833326594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1634869565833326594%7Ctwgr%5E8e29784ba7d50e49994727258d31c7cdfeba0bee%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Fboard-of-deputies-apologises-for-tweet-calling-journalist-an-a-7LtHi48tKkUwEhz3gKauLo%3FreloadTime%3D1678716349802
Ms Shabi had criticised an opinion piece written by Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, published by The Times.
Ms Pollock has urged people to stop invoking the Holocaust for "anything that we hate or fear, anything that evokes pain and horror, triggering a strong emotional response". It came after football presenter Gary Lineker said that the language being used around the government's immigration legislation is "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s."
Ms Pollock wrote: "However passionately we feel about important and pressing issues of the day, it seems to me that comparing those current concerns to the almost unimaginable horrors of the Nazi period is wrong. These comparisons are wrong when the point being made is one we agree with, and when it is not.
"The appalling policies and actions of the Nazis took place in a specific period in history, rooted in a time and a place — so I urge caution from everyone when considering reference to this period of history to make any point."
Ms Shabi tweeted in response: "This is plainly wrong. A key tenet of Holocaust education in never again, for anyone. The Holocaust is unique, but 'never again' is universal. Drawing out similarities and parallels is critical and part of the education."
The tweet from the Board of Deputies' account was quickly deleted, but Ms Shabi shared a screenshot and wrote: "Hey @BoardofDeputies do you want to apologise and explain how this happened?"
(https://www.thejc.com/news/news/board-of-deputies-apologises-for-tweet-calling-journalist-an-a-7LtHi48tKkUwEhz3gKauLo?reloadTime=1678716349802#:~:text=Ms%20Shabi%20had,how%20this%20happened%3F%E2%80%9D)
The email sent from Board of Deputies Chief Executive Michael Wegier to Deputies on Sunday
On Sunday, the Board, which represents the Jewish community, tweeted an apology, writing: "Late last night there was a tweet issued in error from the Board of Deputies' Twitter account directed to @rachshabi. This tweet used inappropriate language, for which we unreservedly apologise.
"The tweet was immediately removed. We have also reached out privately to apologise."
Ms Shabi accepted the apology, but added: "The problem isn't just the language but the substance of the post. I'm concerned that the person intending to post this on their personal account is responsible for your Twitter account. Can you take action?"
In an email sent to Deputies on Sunday, obtained by the JC, the Board's chief executive Michael Wegier wrote: "We are currently considering a number of different options in order to ensure this does not happen again. Once a decision is made, these will be immediately implemented."
A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies declined to share any details on what the options under consideration are, nor the timeframe in which they envisage changes being made.
Another apology by a jew. This one is actually a jew apologizing to a goy - former President Jimmy Carter - about the "apartheid" word. <:^0
It's a bit suspicious that this apology is getting publicity now, however, since it is widely know that Carter is near death, and, do we dare think that this jew is trying to get publicity as a result of the death of Carter, who he betrayed years ago?
Man who led mass resignation from Jimmy Carter's Foundation apologised, admits to Israel apartheid
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230313-man-who-led-mass-resignation-from-jimmy-carters-foundation-apologised-admits-to-israel-apartheid/
The man responsible for leading the resignation of 15 members of the Carter Centre's Board of Councillors in 2007, over former US President Jimmy Carter's criticism of Israel has announced his apology to the ailing figure, admitting that Carter was right about Israel becoming an apartheid state.
In an article published last week by the American Jewish news outlet, The Forward, titled 'I was wrong about Israel. I apologised. Then President Carter gave me a lesson in grace,' Steve Berman – a former member of the Carter Centre's Board of Councillors from 2005 to 2007 – recounted his and other Board members' reactions to Carter's 2006 book 'Palestine: Peace not Apartheid', in which the former President identified Israel's occupation of and persecution in Palestinian territories as apartheid.
Stating that "I felt that even my left-of-centre sensibilities had been betrayed", he said he "wasn't convinced" by Carter's reasoning that, although Israel was apparently not yet an apartheid state at the time, but that it "was moving toward this state of affairs by its ongoing occupation of the West Bank".
Berman then led 15 members of the Board of Councillors to resign in 2007, but wrote that "in the intervening years, I realised that he [Carter] was likely right". Citing his deep ties with Israel and his children and grandchildren's subsequent connection with the country, Berman admitted that, over time, "I came to realise that the Jewish state was, indeed, burying its head in the sand. Israel was not facing the demographic realities, and was fast becoming a state that could not be both democratic and Jewish."
He criticised both the Israeli left which seemed "more consumed by espressos and stock options than with peace" and the Israeli right which focuses on deals such as the Abraham Accords "with nations thousands of miles away instead of any meaningful attempts to address the occupation taking place in its own backyard."
In that climate, Berman said, he "kept thinking about Carter's prediction that apartheid was in Israel's future if leadership kept ignoring the general direction of the country". Eight years ago, he then felt compelled to write to Carter to apologise, admitting to him that "as of late, I had started to view Israel's occupation of the Palestinians as something that started in 1967 as an accident but was now becoming an enterprise with colonial intentions."
Carter replied to him shortly afterward, in a handwritten note which read: "You have no reason to apologise, but I accept your wonderful letter as you obviously intend it. I sympathise & understand the feelings of my many friends, who reacted as you did. Best wishes, Jimmy Carter. P.S. You would be welcome back at the Carter Centre. JC."
Berman said he "was shaken and inspired by his humility. Carter owed me nothing, yet gave me a sense there is a capacity within us all for unconditional love."
As the 98-year-old Jimmy Carter was, last month, admitted to home hospice care in what seems to be his final days, Berman urged that "Before it is too late, American Jews should apologise to Jimmy Carter, and thank him for everything he has done for us and the world."
Famed for his administration's brokering of the Camp David Accords of 1978 and the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement, Carter has broken from the usual unconditional American pro-Israel bias by frequently and consistently advocating against Israel's occupation and for Palestinian rights and statehood over almost two decades.
In 2014, he slammed Tel Aviv for not being committed to a two-state solution, urged US policy to be less biased towards it, and called for Washington to recognise the Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas, as a legitimate political force. More recently, in 2020, Carter condemned former President Donald Trump's 'deal of the century' as breaching international law.
WWE Issues Apology for Using Auschwitz Footage in 'WrestleMania' Promo
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-140/wwe-issues-apology-for-using-auschwitz-footage-in-wrestlemania-promo
WWE issued an apology Friday after facing backlash in recent days for using an image of the Auschwitz concentration camp in a promo video for a match that took place during WrestleMania 39.
The pro wrestling promotion has been under fire since the startling inclusion of a photo of Auschwitz was discovered in a video hyping the Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio match after it aired on the Night 1 pre-show on April 1. After initially staying quiet on the matter, WWE addressed the controversy in a statement on Friday, confirming the image was promptly removed upon its discovery before apologizing for the offensive gaffe.
"We had no knowledge of what was depicted. As soon as we learned, it was removed immediately. We apologize for this error," the statement read, per NBC News.
The company's response to the controversial promo comes nearly a week after the backlash began, with many fans up in arms after a tweet of the image went viral during the show. In the promo, the Auschwitz footage was featured as B-roll behind audio of Dominik Mysterio, whose character went to prison, saying, "You think this is a game to me? I served hard time. And I survived."
As WWE faced waves of criticism in the days that followed, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum released a statement on Wednesday blasting the company for "exploiting the site." According to multiple reports following the event, the Auschwitz footage was replaced with generic images of an empty jail cell with barbed wire prior to Night 2, and has been promptly removed from all replays of WrestleMania 39 Night 1.
https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites/status/1644523640740872193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1644523640740872193%7Ctwgr%5E5d4afda1b087f5e4406fa80be965fbd57e9b4cb3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stopantisemitism.org%2Fantisemitic-incidents-140%2Fwwe-issues-apology-for-using-auschwitz-footage-in-wrestlemania-promo
"The fact that Auschwitz image was used to promote a WWE match is hard to call 'an editing mistake'," the Auschwitz Memorial stated in a tweet on April 5. "Exploiting the site that became a symbol of enormous human tragedy is shameless and insults the memory of all victims of Auschwitz."
QuoteThe Hackney MP has apologised for the remarks and said draft of letter had been sent in error
Labour suspends Diane Abbott after letter claiming Jews do not suffer racism The Hackney MP has apologised for the remarks and said draft of letter had been sent in error
https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/labour-suspends-diane-abbott-after-letter-claiming-jews-do-not-suffer-racism-1KmGooq54psDxkhpCqFhR3
The Labour Party has suspended Diane Abbott, the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, following a letter in today's Observer which argued that Jews do not suffer from racism.
Ms Abbott apologised earlier today and withdrew the letter, which had argued that "Irish, Jewish and Traveller people" experienced prejudice but this was not the same as racism.
A Labour spokesman said, "The Labour Party completely condemns these comments which are deeply offensive and wrong."
The chief whip had "suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation," he added
In a statement on Twitter this morning, Ms Abbott, whose constituency has a large Strictly Orthodox Jewish population, said she wished to "wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and dissassociate myself from them".
The errors, she explained, "arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused".
Racism "takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects,, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others".
In her published letter, she had written that prejudice was "similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable".
It was true, she had written, that "many types of white people" could experience prejudice. "But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote."
The letter had been sent in response an article about the recently published Evidence for Equality National Survey which found that 55 per cent of Jews said they had experienced a racist assault.
Rabbi Herschel Gluck, president of the Orthodox defence group Shomrim in Stamford Hill, who lives in the MP's constituency, said he had been "shocked" to read the letter but said Ms Abbott's apology was "sincere and heartfelt and I certainly appreciate that".
https://twitter.com/HackneyAbbott/status/1650072333527252994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1650072333527252994%7Ctwgr%5Ea5c42638a51fac551bfc198ff2cfdea285715ef4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Flabour-suspends-diane-abbott-after-letter-claiming-jews-do-not-suffer-racism-1KmGooq54psDxkhpCqFhR3
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said on Twitter it was "good" the remarks had been withdrawn.
"There are those who deem antisemitism as a 'lesser' form of racism, a somehow less embedded or extreme form of hatred," she added.
"BUT anyone even superficially familiar with what white supremacists think and say, will know that they regard Jews as racially inferior - regardless of the colour of their skin. The fact is that acknowledging the long history of hatred and persecution of Jews including the systematic state sponsored annihilation of 6 million during the Holocaust - does not detract from the very real issues faced by other minority groups. "
Dave Rich, policy director of the CST, said, "While it is welcome that Diane Abbott has withdrawn her appalling denial of the reality of anti-Jewish racism, the harm caused by her views will be much more widespread and it is right that the Labour Party have suspended the whip.
"Omitting the Holocaust from a list of the most grievous examples of modern racism is the inevitable consequence of this drive to define racism as purely something based on skin colour. Much better, surely, to acknowledge that racism affects different communities in a variety of ways, and to find their common features rather than creating a divisive hierarchy."
Quote from: yankeedoodle on April 08, 2023, 06:02:31 PM
WWE Issues Apology for Using Auschwitz Footage in 'WrestleMania' Promo
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-140/wwe-issues-apology-for-using-auschwitz-footage-in-wrestlemania-promo
WWE issued an apology Friday after facing backlash in recent days for using an image of the Auschwitz concentration camp in a promo video for a match that took place during WrestleMania 39.
The pro wrestling promotion has been under fire since the startling inclusion of a photo of Auschwitz was discovered in a video hyping the Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio match after it aired on the Night 1 pre-show on April 1. After initially staying quiet on the matter, WWE addressed the controversy in a statement on Friday, confirming the image was promptly removed upon its discovery before apologizing for the offensive gaffe.
"We had no knowledge of what was depicted. As soon as we learned, it was removed immediately. We apologize for this error," the statement read, per NBC News.
The company's response to the controversial promo comes nearly a week after the backlash began, with many fans up in arms after a tweet of the image went viral during the show. In the promo, the Auschwitz footage was featured as B-roll behind audio of Dominik Mysterio, whose character went to prison, saying, "You think this is a game to me? I served hard time. And I survived."
As WWE faced waves of criticism in the days that followed, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum released a statement on Wednesday blasting the company for "exploiting the site." According to multiple reports following the event, the Auschwitz footage was replaced with generic images of an empty jail cell with barbed wire prior to Night 2, and has been promptly removed from all replays of WrestleMania 39 Night 1.
https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites/status/1644523640740872193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1644523640740872193%7Ctwgr%5E5d4afda1b087f5e4406fa80be965fbd57e9b4cb3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stopantisemitism.org%2Fantisemitic-incidents-140%2Fwwe-issues-apology-for-using-auschwitz-footage-in-wrestlemania-promo
"The fact that Auschwitz image was used to promote a WWE match is hard to call 'an editing mistake'," the Auschwitz Memorial stated in a tweet on April 5. "Exploiting the site that became a symbol of enormous human tragedy is shameless and insults the memory of all victims of Auschwitz."
Not to forget.
WWE "President" Ari Emanuel, son of Jewish Terrorist Benjamin Emanuel.
Maybe they have some kind of Taco Two-fer going with the Auschwitz stuff.
(https://images.ctfassets.net/tyagww523muq/74Txlj13iHQwozLrUk6sNh/bd2f90bf8e0f8380ed5356476bbcf8f7/Graun.jpeg?w=1045&h=588&q=90&fit=fill&f=faces)
"Repellent explicitly racist cartoon": The Guardian has apologised for its depiction of Jewish former BBC chairman Richard Sharp (Photo: The Guardian)
Guardian apologises to Jewish community for 'explicitly racist' cartoon
The newspaper has removed a widely denounced sketch of Jewish former BBC chairman Richard Sharp
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/guardian-apologises-to-jewish-community-for-'explicitly-racist'-cartoon-45rOM40zIIyGUaBm1oqPfL
The Guardian has apologised to the Jewish community for publishing a cartoon of former BBC chairman Richard Sharp denounced as "explicitly racist".
The sketch, released after the Jewish former banker stepped down from his role on Friday, showed Sharp clutching his CV and a box containing a squid and Rishi Sunak's head.
"Sharp is drawn in a grotesque caricature that looks nothing like him, complete with sunken, drooping eyes, jowly cheeks, a sinister-looking grin and a noticeably prominent nose," the Spectator magazine wrote.
The cartoon also featured a depiction of Boris Johnson sitting atop a pile of muck clutching bags of money while saying, "cheer up, matey! I put you down for a peerage in my resignation honours list!"
The image, said Community Security Trust director of policy Dave Rich, "falls squarely into an antisemitic tradition of depicting Jews with outsized, grotesque features, often in conjunction with money and power. It's appalling."
"First, the face," he said. "Antisemites have often imagined Jews as ugly and physically repulsive, focusing specifically on these features.
Sharp's squid, he added, was seemingly a reference to a 2009 description of Goldman Sachs - where he used to work - as, "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity".
"The problem is that a squid or octopus is also a common antisemitic motif, used to depict a supposed Jewish conspiracy with its tentacles wrapped around whatever parts of society the Jews supposedly control," he said. "Especially money. Are those gold coins in the box with Sharp's squid?"
https://twitter.com/daverich1/status/1652216828247015435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1652216828247015435%7Ctwgr%5E02a4ce199cc15f913394f81002ef92228faedec5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Fguardian-apologises-to-jewish-community-for-explicitly-racist-cartoon-45rOM40zIIyGUaBm1oqPfL
"Isn't [The Guardian] like Ianus Bifrons the Two-faced Janus," asked historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore.
"Sometimes urbanely liberal; othertimes brazenly bigoted. Like today when the once-great liberal champion is auditioning to be Der Sturmer & The Protocols of Elders of Zion [with] this repellent explicitly racist cartoon?"
On Saturday, the newspaper removed the cartoon from its website and apologised.
In a statement, the Guardian said: "We understand the concerns that have been raised. This cartoon does not meet our editorial standards, and we have decided to remove it from our website.
"The Guardian apologises to Mr Sharp, to the Jewish community and to anyone offended."
The artist who drew the image, Martin Rowson, also apologised and provided a detailed account of how he created the cartoon.
"Satirists, even though largely licenced to speak the unspeakable in liberal democracies, are no more immune to f**king things up than anyone else, which is what I did here," he wrote in a statement published to his website.
https://twitter.com/MartinRowson/status/1652309981222301696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1652309981222301696%7Ctwgr%5E02a4ce199cc15f913394f81002ef92228faedec5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Fguardian-apologises-to-jewish-community-for-explicitly-racist-cartoon-45rOM40zIIyGUaBm1oqPfL
He knew Sharp was Jewish, he added, because he had known him at school.
"His Jewishness never crossed my mind as I drew him as it's wholly irrelevant to the story or his actions, and it played no conscious role in how I twisted his features according to the standard cartooning playbook," he said.
"Likewise, the cute squid and the little Rishi were no more than that, a cartoon squid and a short Prime Minister, it never occurring to me that some might see them as puppets of Sharp, this being another notorious antisemitic trope."
The cartoonist concluded: "So by any definition, most of all my own, the cartoon was a failure and on many levels: I offended the wrong people, Sharp wasn't the main target of the satire, I rushed at something without allowing enough time to consider things with the depth and care they require, and thereby letting slip in stupid ambiguities that have ended up appearing to be something I never intended."
Mayor of Missouri town apologizes after saying trash collectors are 'not trying to Jew anybody'
https://www.jta.org/2023/05/18/united-states/mayor-of-missouri-town-apologizes-after-saying-trash-collectors-are-not-trying-to-jew-anybody
The mayor of a Missouri town has apologized for saying a local trash company is "not trying to Jew anybody" at a recent public meeting, writing in an open letter that the remark was "not in keeping with the beliefs and values" of the town.
Stephen Wright, the mayor of Odessa, made the remark at a Monday meeting of the local Board of Aldermen, amid a discussion of changes to trash pickup in the town of 5,500. On Wednesday, Wright posted an open letter on the city government's Facebook page, addressed "to our Jewish Community" and apologizing for the statement.
"Those statements were not in keeping with the beliefs and values of the City of Odessa," Wright wrote. "It was not my intent to degrade or marginalize anyone, or any group of people, nor to further any negative stereotypes based upon their heritage or belief."
Odessa, located 30 miles east of Kansas City, does not appear to have any organized Jewish presence. Joe Spaar, the co-publisher of a local paper, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, "I've lived here my whole life and I haven't met one Jewish person."
"It's not a thing that's in your consciousness here," Spaar said, adding that he assumes Wright also doesn't know any Jews. "There's no Jewish community. ... There's no Jewish church or anything around here."
The town removed video of Monday's meeting from its social media channels, and the mayor's apology letter did not specify what he had said. Odessa's city clerk, Karen Findora, said the city had removed the video because the mayor's comments had "violated our social media policy." She would not comment on the mayor's statement itself, but said Wright would likely make a more detailed apology at the next board meeting, scheduled for Monday.
JTA obtained video of the meeting via a public records request.
Referring to getting "Jewed" on a financial arrangement is a classic antisemitic trope referencing the stereotype that Jews are cheap. Other local government officials have gotten into hot water for using similar language: A Tampa Bay, Florida, city council member apologized for using the phrase in 2020 and subsequently met with a local Jewish leader. And last year, two state lawmakers in Kentucky apologized for using the phrase "Jew them down."
The mayor's remark did not elicit any audible reaction from the handful of people at the meeting, though one attendee who had been nodding along with him appeared to look away uncomfortably after he uttered the slur.
Some Facebook commenters said they supported the mayor and believed his apology was sincere, while others called for his resignation.
Among those sympathetic to the mayor is Spaar, co-publisher of a publication called The Odessan. Spaar told JTA he considered the mayor's comments at the meeting "a very innocent-type remark."
"He wasn't being mean or trying to disparage anyone," Spaar said. "He was just using an antiquated colloquialism."
Spaar lamented that the city removed the video.
"They should've just taken their lumps," he said. "They've got to realize that if you make a public comment, it's public."
CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour apologizes for saying killing of British Israelis happened in a 'shootout'
https://www.jta.org/2023/05/24/israel/cnn-anchor-christiane-amanpour-apologizes-for-saying-killing-of-british-israelis-happened-in-a-shootout
CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour apologized on Monday for saying last month that the killing of three British Israelis happened in a "shootout."
Amanpour was referring to the shooting of three members of the Dee family, who were killed in a West Bank terror attack in early April by a Palestinian gunman. Maia and Rina Dee, ages 20 and 15, respectively, were killed, and their mother Lucy, 48, later died of her wounds.
Soon after the attack, Amanpour said on screen that the Dee daughters "were killed in a shootout, and now the mother has died of her injury." She made the comment amid a recounting of recent violence between Israelis and Palestinians, which has escalated this year.
Honest Reporting, a pro-Israel media watchdog, tweeted to Amanpour, "you owe a grieving family an apology." And this week, Rabbi Leo Dee, the husband and father of the victims, said he was considering suing CNN for $1.3 billion, according to the Jewish Journal.
The next day, Amanpour apologized on air.
"During that live interview, I misspoke and said that they were killed in a shootout instead of a shooting," she said. "I have written to Rabbi Dee to apologize and make sure that he knows that we apologize for any further pain that may have caused him."
Gil Hoffman, Honest Reporting's CEO, said in a statement that he hopes other journalists who saw his group's complaint and Amanpour's apology will be "careful to be completely accurate when they file their own reports."
The Florida mom who sought to ban Amanda Gorman's poem says she's sorry for promoting the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
https://www.jta.org/2023/05/24/united-states/the-florida-mom-who-got-amanda-gormans-poem-restricted-says-shes-sorry-for-promoting-the-protocols-of-the-elders-of-zion
Months before a Miami-area mother persuaded a local school to restrict access to an Amanda Gorman poem, she was posting antisemitic memes on her Facebook page.
Now, Daily Salinas is apologizing for one of those things — and unrepentant about the other.
"I want to apologize to the Jewish community," Salinas told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Wednesday. She was saying sorry for a Facebook post she shared in March offering a summary of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," a notorious antisemitic forgery written more than a century ago in Russia.
"I'm not what the post says," Salinas said. "I love the Jewish community."
The post came to light this week after the Miami Herald identified Salinas as the Miami Lakes, Florida, mother who petitioned her children's school to ban students' access to the Gorman poem. Gorman read the poem, called "The Hill We Climb," at President Joe Biden's inauguration.
Salinas also petitioned the school to restrict children's books about the Black poet Langston Hughes and about Black and Cuban history. After a committee reviewed her challenges, the Miami-Dade County school district opted to restrict all but one book about Cuba from grades K-5, while leaving them available to middle school students.
Salinas challenged the Gorman poem — which she says she hasn't read in its entirety — on the grounds that it contains "indirect hate messages." The review committee said it "erred on the side of caution" in deciding to limit students' access.
The Miami Herald did not mention Salinas' social media activity. But after the story about her was published, a left-wing group, Miami Against Fascism, called attention to a Facebook account it identified as hers. The account, which JTA reviewed, features a flood of political posts reflecting right-wing ideologies — and the antisemitic Protocols.
Salinas' post about the Protocols included a list of steps depicting how "Jewish Zionists" would achieve world domination. The graphic included stages such as "Place our agents and helpers everywhere," "Replace royal rule with socialist rule, then communism, then despotism," and "Sacrifice people (including Jews sometimes) when necessary."
Reached by JTA on Wednesday, Salinas confirmed that the post about the "Protocols" was hers and apologized for it, saying she hadn't read it beyond the word "communism." Salinas said her aversion to communism stems from her Cuban identity. She added that English is not her first language.
"I see the word 'communism,' and I think it's something about communism," she said. "I didn't read the words."
Salinas said that her heart became "tight" with pain when she thought that people would see her as antisemitic for sharing the Protocols post. After speaking with JTA, Salinas deleted the post.
Salinas said she was speaking with JTA after declining to talk with other media outlets so that she could apologize. She said she is Christian and added, "We are super protective of the Jewish people." She added that she has Jewish friends and is a fan of the Israeli Netflix series "Fauda."
She said the books about Cuba that she challenged "don't tell the whole story about Cuba, communism, the dictators, their people that are dying and trying to come to America." The significant population of Spanish-speaking immigrants from countries with a history of communism, many of whom tend to be politically conservative, has played a growing role in the region's culture wars.
Salinas' Facebook feed reflects the kinds of right-wing memes that continue to circulate widely, although she told JTA that she did not post everything on it herself. Miami Against Fascism also shared video of Salinas with the Proud Boys, a far-right group with ties to antisemitic activists, as well as a video of her attending a school board protest last year with Moms For Liberty, a "parents' rights" group active in pushing for book removals across the country. Such groups have been instrumental in leveraging laws signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that enable parents to challenge the presence of any book in school libraries. In some instances, those challenges have led to the removal of books about the Holocaust and Jewish culture.
Salinas told JTA she was not a member of either group and said she had just been in attendance at protests where they were both present. A Moms For Liberty media representative also told JTA Salinas was not a member of the group and said, "We denounce antisemitism in all its forms."
Asked why she wanted the books removed in the first place, Salinas said she had just been expressing her "opinion" that they did not "support the curriculum" but declined to elaborate.
She said she had only read parts of the books. "They have to read for me because I'm not an expert," she said. "I'm not a reader. I'm not a book person. I'm a mom involved in my children's education."
A representative of the school district told JTA in a statement that "no literature (books or poem) has been banned or removed," and that "it was determined at the school" that Gorman's poem was "better suited for middle school students." In publicly available meeting minutes, the review committee said the "vocabulary" of Gorman's poem was "determined to be of value for middle school students," and similarly that the "content and subject matter" of the Hughes poems were determined to be for middle school readers. The district did not respond to JTA's queries about Salinas' Facebook activity.
Gorman said on Twitter that she was "gutted" by the removal in Salinas' children's school. "Often all it takes to remove these works from our libraries and schools is a single objection," she wrote.
A real rarity: a jew apologizing to Christians. But, only because he knows where the money comes from. <:^0
Israeli Lawmaker Apologizes to Christians
Former Minister of Religious Affairs say Christians are Israel's "great supporters" and shouldn't be yelled at by anyone.
https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/israeli-lawmaker-apologizes-to-christians/
Evangelical Christian groups participating in the global Isaiah 62 fast for Israel gathered in the Israeli capital this week for the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast.
In a Wednesday session at the Knesset hosted by opposition lawmaker and former Minister of Religious Affairs Matan Kahana, he apologized for an anti-Christian demonstration by ultra-Orthodox Jews outside the Temple Mount a day earlier.
"A few days ago, some extremists, demonstrators shouted at a group of visitors to the holy places," Kahana was quoted as saying by All Israel News. "I would like to emphasize that shouting at the people who are the great supporters of Israel is counterproductive. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for this behavior on behalf of the Knesset."
The demonstration near the Southern Stairs of the Temple Mount, where the Christians held a worship service, decried what the Orthodox Jews called "missionary activity" aimed at "converting" Jews to Christianity. They had reportedly been triggered by a description of the Isaiah 62 fast as a campaign for the "salvation of Israel," by which the Orthodox Jews know Christians mean faith in Jesus.
Kahana is fully cognizant of the importance of Evangelical Christian support for Israel.
A month ago he traveled to the US and urged American Jews to support Israel as vigorously and unconditionally as the Christians do.
"I had a very important meeting with Christians and Evangelicals who support Israel," he told Israel's Kan public broadcaster while in the US. "This is a very important strategic relationship for the State of Israel – 70 million enthusiastic supporters of the country."
QuoteBarber, who was firmwide managing partner at Barber Ranen, and Ranen, who was its chief financial officer, apologized in a joint statement Monday afternoon. They said they resigned "to allow our friends and colleagues to continue on without the cloud of our conduct hanging over them."
Partners at LA Law Firm Resign After Antisemitic Emails Surface https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-146/l2huun196omhhgk41jq83egmq64bee
The name partners of U.S. law firm Barber Ranen have resigned after their former law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith found dozens of emails that showed the lawyers using racist, sexist, homophobic, and antisemitic language while they were there, according to Barber Ranen's chief executive officer.
John Barber and Jeffrey Ranen resigned after the firm requested their resignations, Barber Ranen CEO Tim Graves said in a statement on Monday.
Barber, who was firmwide managing partner at Barber Ranen, and Ranen, who was its chief financial officer, apologized in a joint statement Monday afternoon. They said they resigned "to allow our friends and colleagues to continue on without the cloud of our conduct hanging over them."
"The last 72 hours have been the most difficult of our lives, as we have had to acknowledge and reckon with those emails," they said. "They are not, in any way, reflections of the contents of our hearts, or our true values."
The two men co-founded Barber Ranen, which launched last month with more than 100 lawyers from Lewis Brisbois. Ranen was in the firm's Los Angeles office and Barber in Newport Beach, California.
Lewis Brisbois said in a statement it was not aware of the emails and that it launched an investigation after it received an anonymous complaint about the lawyers. Dozens of the lawyers' emails, some dating back to 2008, were first reported by the New York Post and later reviewed by Reuters.
In a March 2022 email provided by Lewis Brisbois, Barber — who led the firm's employment practice — said one Los Angeles County Superior Court judge likes being called "sugar tits."
In June 2012, when Ranen complained to Barber about an employee working overtime, Barber responded "Kill her," including a description of a violent sex act, according to the emails Lewis Brisbois provided.
Ranen in a March 2014 email to Barber, provided by the firm, said he almost always emails work questions to a Jewish lawyer outside of Lewis Brisbois Saturday morning, during the Jewish Sabbath.
"This Jew is cracking me up," Ranen wrote to Barber, who responded, "Jew hater." In other emails, the two men used racial, sexist and homophobic slurs.
Graves said in a statement that Barber Ranen will "form a new firm," adding that its equity partners expressed "their disappointment and disdain for the language Mr. Barber and Mr. Ranen used."
Lewis Brisbois' management committee said Lewis Brisbois is conducting a full review of Barber and Ranen's correspondence and interviewing other employees.
QuoteI regret the wrong decision to organize Children's Day. We share a common history and a common home, and it was never our intention to hurt feelings — it was human error. I hope that this event will not interfere with our dialogue and cooperation in the future," he wrote. "I extend my apologies to you to the entire Jewish community."
Polish city throws children's bubble party on top of Jewish graveshttps://www.jta.org/2023/06/06/global/polish-city-throws-childrens-bubble-party-on-top-of-jewish-graves
ng the eastern Polish town for throwing a festive children's bubble party on the site of a former Jewish cemetery where the dead are still buried.
The Kazimierz Dolny authorities filled the former cemetery with bubbles for Children's Day, a holiday celebrated on June 1 in many European countries.
In the letter sent to to Mayor Artur Pomianowski on Tuesday, Michael Schudrich wrote, "the party organized on the yard, which was after all fun on the graves, proves that for the municipal authorities, respect for human burial is not an important value."
Schudrich told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that it was "outrageous" that Pomianowski posted a video of the bubble party on his mayoral Facebook page.
"Is this what we want to teach our children about how we treat the dead, our ancestors?" Schudrich said.
Bartłomiej Godlewskia, Kazimierz Dolny's deputy mayor, sent a letter in response to Schudrich on Wednesday.
"I regret the wrong decision to organize Children's Day. We share a common history and a common home, and it was never our intention to hurt feelings — it was human error. I hope that this event will not interfere with our dialogue and cooperation in the future," he wrote. "I extend my apologies to you to the entire Jewish community."
The former cemetery, now a children's play area next to an elementary school, was demolished roughly 50 years ago, but the bodies were not removed. Jewish headstones were used to pave roads and used as building materials throughout Eastern Europe during the communist era.
Schudrich said that for the past five years, representatives of Polish Jewry have been trying to work with several mayors of Kazimierz Dolny, including the current one, as well as the town council, to move the cemetery so that it would not function as a playground. He estimated that a few hundred Jews are buried at the site.
"We offered a really nice solution that would involve us helping to fund a new playground and moving the cemetery to an empty field nearby," said Schudrich. "But they keep stalling or canceling meetings and it seems like the town just doesn't care."
"We deal with several cemeteries every week; 99% are resolved in a very positive and even sometimes quick manner. Kaziemierz is from the 1%," he added.
After Godlewskia's response on Wednesday, Schudrich said that he is "following up" on his request to meet with Mayor Pomianowski about a solution for moving the former cemetery.
It is believed that the 19th-century Rabbi Yehezkel Taub of Kuzhmiri is buried in the former cemetery. Haredi Orthodox followers of the Modzitz Hasidic dynasty, founded by the rabbi, flock to the cemetery-turned-playground each year to pay their respects, but their demand to protect the site has not been met.
Jews have lived in Kazimierz Dolny since the 14th century. The town today is a major local tourist attraction known for its stunning architecture on the banks of the Vistula river. Before the Nazi invasion in World War II, there were 1,400 Jews in Kazimierz Dolny, roughly half of its population. Fewer than 20 of the town's Jewish inhabitants are thought to have survived the Holocaust.
In his letter to the town's mayor, Schudrich wrote that the bubble party "puts into question whether further talks about the site make sense, and casts doubt on whether, regardless of religion, both parties are guided by common values drawn from it."
The director of the town's Kazimierz Center for Culture, Promotion and Tourism also released an apology statement on Wednesday.
"I declare that we had no bad intentions when organizing this event. We didn't want to hurt anyone or hurt anyone's religious feelings," wrote Józef Skrzeczkowski.
Moms For Liberty chapter apologizes for quoting Hitler in its newsletter
https://www.jta.org/2023/06/23/united-states/moms-for-liberty-chapter-apologizes-for-quoting-hitler-in-its-newsletter
On Thursday, the chapter's president apologized for the quotation. An amended version of the newsletter with "context" for the quotation was posted online before the whole quote was later deleted and the newsletter reposted without it.
"We condemn Adolf Hitler's actions and his dark place in human history," the group's chair, Paige Miller, wrote in a statement posted to social media. "We should not have quoted him in our newsletter and express our deepest apology."
Founded in 2021 in Florida to oppose what it calls indoctrination in public education, Moms For Liberty now has dozens of chapters nationwide, a growing national profile and an uneasy relationship with Jewish-themed books.
At least one of its national chairs is Jewish, and the group has publicly supported haredi Orthodox yeshivas that are under fire for allegedly falling short of secular education requirements and other standards. But Moms For Liberty members have also been a driving force behind the removal of Jewish and Holocaust-themed books from schools, including a successful effort to remove an adaptation of Anne Frank's diary from a Florida school district. Chapters have also aligned themselves with extremist groups like the Proud Boys, and the left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center has called them a hate group, sparking criticism from Republicans.
The quotation in question is sourced to a 1935 speech Hitler gave introducing the antisemitic Nuremberg Laws. It was previously quoted publicly in 2021, when Mary Miller, a Republican congresswoman, recited a version of the quotation during a rally shortly before the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 of that year. Miller, who said "Hitler was right on one thing," initially defended her use of the quotation before apologizing.
On Twitter, Moms for Liberty responded to the email by writing, "Everyone knows Hitler is bad" and calling coverage of the quotation "intentional dishonesty in reporting," though it added that "The chapter shouldn't have quoted Hitler without condemning him at the same time."
Moms For Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice responded to the quote with a statement that seemed to compare President Joe Biden to Hitler.
"Our Moms condemn Hitler and all he represents," Justice tweeted above a screenshot of an article about Biden criticizing parents-rights activists. Alongside a picture of a finger pointing at the article, she wrote, "Controlling the minds of the youth through government schools was done by Hitler, Lenin and Mao. Millions have died because of these monsters. They thought they owned the children. Sound familiar?"
The kerfuffle occurred as Moms For Liberty prepared to host its first-ever annual summit. Several candidates for president are scheduled to make appearances, including Republicans Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, along with Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Most of the group's activism nationally has revolved around fighting discussion of LGBTQ identity in schools, as well as matters related to race. The other items in the Hamilton County newsletter had included criticism of a local high school receiving an award from the It Gets Better Foundation, which advocates for LGBTQ youth. Immediately below the Hitler quote, there was another one from the group's national co-founders, Justice and Tina Deskovich: "Moms For Liberty will not be intimidated by hate groups!"
Among the figures condemning the newsletter is Miles Nelson, the Jewish Democratic nominee for mayor of Carmel, Indiana, which is located in Hamilton County. Nelson tweeted, "This hate speech has no place in our community."
The chair of the county Republican Party, Mario Massillamany, also condemned the newsletter, telling the Indianapolis Star, "I don't think that we as a society can say enough about the atrocities that the poor Jewish people had to go through."
According to an Indiana public radio report, the "context" the group provided for the quote had stated, "The quote from a horrific leader should put parents on alert. If the government has control over our children today, they control our country's future. We The People must be vigilant and protect children from an overreaching government."
Finland government minister apologises for making Hitler joke
Vilhelm Junnila, from the far-right Finns Party, was only sworn-in to his new role on Tuesday
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/finland-government-minister-apologises-for-making-hitler-joke-5E1hoHnYk9gSop3GMgN0WQ
A Finnish government minister has apologised for making 'foolish' remarks which indicated sympathy towards Adolf Hitler.
Vilhelm Junnila, Finland's Minister for Economic Affairs, joked about the number 88, which was randomly assigned by the Finnish Election Commission as his candidate number in the 2019 parliamentary elections.
However, 88 is coded shorthand for 'Heil Hitler' for neo-Nazi's, as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet.
The incident took place during an event hosted by a local branch of Junnila's far-right Finns party in Raisio in March.
According to Finnish tabloid Iltalehti, he said: "First of all, congratulations on an excellent election number. I know it's a winning card.
"Of course, this 88 refers to the two letters H, which are not discussed further," he then said, drawing laughter.
Following his remarks, someone in the audience shouted "Heil Hitler" and he then quietly apologised.
AJunnila wrote on his Facebook page: "Over the years, I have joked in a way that, looking back, seems foolish and immature. I have acted incorrectly, and I apologise for my actions."
He also expressed regret for appearing at a rally organised by neo-Nazi groups in 2019.
The Yie news site reported that in 2019 Junnila spoke in front of neo-Nazis during a memorial event for the 2017 terror attack in Turku, when two women were stabbed to death.
The event's name was called "Flower 188" and was arranged by an organisation called the Coalition of Nationalists. The coalition was an umbrella group formed in 2017 for those on the far-right including the Finns Party, the now-banned Nordic Resistance Movement militia, and the Soldiers of Odin vigilante movement.
The Coalition of Nationalists had hit the headlines in Finland after they were exposed for organising firearms training at a camp where the targets were faces of Finnish government ministers.
Junnila added: "There was a crowd of people there. Delivered a speech at the event. It was an event to honour the memory of the victims of the attack, not a demonstration or political event. The video recording of the event is still available online.
"I would no longer participate in such an event if it was organised," he said, describing the Nordic Resistance Movement as "aggressive and deliberately seeking conflict."
QuoteA Russian official has apologized after his deputy published an op-ed that referred to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Orthodox Judaism as a "neo-pagan cult" striving for "global domination."
Russian official apologizes for op-ed that country's Jewish leaders called 'vulgar antisemitism'https://www.jta.org/2022/10/30/global/russian-official-apologizes-for-op-ed-that-countrys-jewish-leaders-called-vulgar-antisemitism
A Russian official has apologized after his deputy published an op-ed that referred to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Orthodox Judaism as a "neo-pagan cult" striving for "global domination."
Top leaders of Chabad in Russia, who have been navigating a fine line in their relationship with the government during the country's war on Ukraine, criticized the column published last week in a state magazine as antisemitic.
Russian chief rabbi, Berel Lazar, who is part of Chabad, called the column "a piece of vulgar antisemitism." His top deputy warned that the column heralded "a new era in Russia's relations with Jews."
In the column, published in the Argumenty i Fakty weekly newspaper, Aleksey Pavlov, secretary of the Security Council of Russia, a government committee of experts, spoke of the need to perform "desatanization" in Ukraine, which Pavlov claimed had hundreds of neo-pagan cults. He included "the Chabad-Lubavitch sect," as he called it, on a list of various religious groups that he said proved his point.
Nikolai Patrushev, a high-ranking official for the security council, said in a statement issued Friday that the column did not represent an official government position.
"I apologize for the op-ed, which contained several erroneous statements about the followers of Chabad-Lubavitch," read the statement. "This interpretation represented only Alexey Pavlov's personal point of view and in no way represents that of the Security Council of Russia. Talks have been had with the writer of the op-ed."
The episode is notable because of the force with which Jewish leaders inside and outside Russia responded. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Chabad's leaders in Russia have walked a fine line amid a crackdown on free speech in the country. They refrained from the open embrace that many other religious leaders showed — and that Moscow's former chief rabbi, who was not part of Chabad, said he faced pressure to demonstrate before he fled the country. Instead, they have expressed displeasure about the war while not denouncing Russian president Vladimir Putin and while continuing to serve Russian Jews, even as tens of thousands of them have left amid deteriorating conditions there.
As Putin's war has sputtered, signs of open antisemitism have crept into public discourse, including in state media, a worrying shift in a country where oppression of Jews and, at times violence against them, was policy for many decades until recently. The rare apology by a Russian public official suggests that the perception that antisemitism is government policy is unwelcome.
The Orthodox rabbi who left the country, Pinchas Goldschmidt, renewed his call for Russia's Jews to leave the country after the attack on Chabad last week. "An attack by the Russian government against Chabad, as well as the attacks against the Jewish Agency for Israel, are antisemitic acts against all of us," he said, referring to a government case against the organization that facilitates emigration to Israel for Russian Jews.
That message resonated beyond Russia. Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, also issued a statement condemning the criticism of Chabad.
"Alexi Pavlov's remarks accusing Chabad of being a neo-pagan cult in search of world-domination can be categorized as nothing other than antisemitism — Jew hatred — in its purest and ugliest form," said Lauder, who said Lazar was a longtime friend. "Chabad is an integral part of the global Jewish community. Any disparaging attack on Chabad and the Chabad community in Russia, let alone an attack that amounts to blood libel, is an attack on the Jewish people as a whole."
Quote from: yankeedoodle on May 19, 2023, 01:48:49 PM
Mayor of Missouri town apologizes after saying trash collectors are 'not trying to Jew anybody'
https://www.jta.org/2023/05/18/united-states/mayor-of-missouri-town-apologizes-after-saying-trash-collectors-are-not-trying-to-jew-anybody
So, "Jew" is a Verb, as well as a Noun, and a Nightmare.
Why was he ashamed for using Jew as a Verb ?
Almost 900 fucking years. Gentiles need to start preparing a list reasons for the jews to apologize.
Norwich mayor apologies to community for 12th century Jewish blood libel
https://eurojewcong.org/news/communities-news/united-kingdom/norwich-mayor-apologies-to-community-for-12th-century-jewish-blood-libel/
The Lord mayor of Norwich has apologised to the city's Jewish community for the religious persecution in the 12th century after false claims about the murder of a boy.
Dr Kevin Maguire referenced the impact the blood libel allegations had on the community after Jews were falsely accused of murdering the 12-year-old, called William, in 1144.
It was England's first recorded instance of a 'blood libel', in which Jews were wrongly accused of murdering Christian boys to use their blood in religious rituals.
"Medieval Norwich blamed the Jews and we see the horrendous events that followed.
"Today we see other 'not like me' groups turned upon and blamed for shortcomings in society.
"For me, the answer is to say 'no more' and to work for Norwich to be free of antisemitism – and to counter the lies told blatantly by those who would wish to foment hate."
Dr Maguire's apology came after he was invited to attend a Seder meal during Pesach.
Quote from: yankeedoodle on July 04, 2023, 06:31:15 PM
Almost 900 fucking years. Gentiles need to start preparing a list reasons for the jews to apologize.
Norwich mayor apologies to community for 12th century Jewish blood libel
https://eurojewcong.org/news/communities-news/united-kingdom/norwich-mayor-apologies-to-community-for-12th-century-jewish-blood-libel/
The Lord mayor of Norwich has apologised to the city's Jewish community for the religious persecution in the 12th century after false claims about the murder of a boy.
Dr Kevin Maguire referenced the impact the blood libel allegations had on the community after Jews were falsely accused of murdering the 12-year-old, called William, in 1144.
It was England's first recorded instance of a 'blood libel', in which Jews were wrongly accused of murdering Christian boys to use their blood in religious rituals.
"Medieval Norwich blamed the Jews and we see the horrendous events that followed.
"Today we see other 'not like me' groups turned upon and blamed for shortcomings in society.
"For me, the answer is to say 'no more' and to work for Norwich to be free of antisemitism – and to counter the lies told blatantly by those who would wish to foment hate."
Dr Maguire's apology came after he was invited to attend a Seder meal during Pesach.
Of course it's possible that in that -1- case, the Gentiles didn't get all their facts right about who murdered their child.
But as for Blood Passover and the associated kidnapping & murder of Gentile children - it's the Jews who have a terrible amount to apologize for.
I recommend Prof. Ariel Toaff's book entitled, "Blood Passover". Did he think that no one outside the "holy land of the chosen people" would read it ?
"BBLLOOOODD PPAASSSSOOVVEERR
TThhee JJeewwss ooff EEuurrooppee
aanndd RRiittuuaall MMuurrddeerr"
I did a copy-paste off the inside title page.
I have a *.pdf if anyone wants to read it. I've read the whole thing. The epicenter in the year 1470 was Northern Italy and Germany.
Too many cases to count.
The classic case is that of St. Simon of Trent - as if giving the young child an impressive title would compensate his community for the sickness of the SWEJ.
BBC apologizes for anchor saying 'Israeli forces are happy to kill children'
https://www.jta.org/2023/07/06/global/bbc-apologizes-for-anchor-saying-israeli-forces-are-happy-to-kill-children
The BBC has apologized for an on-air interview in which one of its anchors told former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that "Israeli forces are happy to kill children."
The journalist, Anjana Gadgil, was interviewing Bennett on Tuesday about the Israel Defense Forces' incursion this week into the Palestinian West Bank city of Jenin. Twelve Palestinians, including a number of children, and one Israeli were killed in the operation, which lasted two days.
Israel conducted the operation to root out terror cells in the city and maintains that all of the Palestinian dead, regardless of age, were militants. Near the beginning of the 8-minute interview, Bennett repeated that message, to which Gadgil responded, "Terrorists, but children. The Israeli forces are happy to kill children."
Bennett responded, "It's quite remarkable that you'd say that, because they're killing us. Now, if there's a 17-year-old Palestinian that's shooting at your family, Anjana, what is he?"
Gadgil's remarks drew condemnation from a number of groups and public figures. The Board of Deputies of British Jews, an umbrella community organization, said it was "appalled" by her statement and that it would reach out to the BBC due to what it called "a clear breach of the Corporation's own guidelines." The Anti-Defamation League called the remark "slanderous and hateful," and said it "speaks to a sustained anti-Israel bias within mainstream media outlets."
Bennett tweeted that the conversation was "one of the most hostile interviews toward Israel that I can remember."
In response, a spokesperson for the BBC told the Jewish Chronicle, a British newspaper, that the network apologizes for Gadgil's statement.
"While this was a legitimate subject to examine in the interview, we apologise that the language used in this line of questioning was not phrased well and was inappropriate," the BBC spokesperson said, adding that the network has endeavored to cover Jenin in an "impartial and robust way."
The British Board of Deputies said it welcomed the "speedy response" from the BBC.
"I am pleased that the BBC have apologised for the clearly unacceptable language which was used in their interview with Naftali Bennett," said Marie van der Zyl, the group's president, in a statement.
Gadgil's remarks come as the Palestinian Authority has called the operation a "war crime" and the top United Nations human rights official said in a statement that the operation "raises a host of serious issues with respect to international human rights norms and standards." The U.S. National Security Council, by contrast, said in a statement that it "support Israel's security and right to defend its people," though it added, "It is imperative to take all possible precautions to prevent the loss of civilian lives."
The BBC's apology comes about six weeks after CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour apologized for saying the killing of three British Israelis happened in a "shootout" rather than a shooting.
Bennett left Israeli politics last year after serving as prime minister for little over a year.
Sainsbury's apologises after newspaper promoting antisemitism was found in stores
Conspiracy theory paper The Light compared vaccination efforts to Nazi extermination camps
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/sainsburys-apologises-after-newspaper-promoting-antisemitism-was-found-in-stores-6RY4X8wMy3fjOiksq7QPHD
Sainsbury's has apologised after copies of The Light, a conspiracy newspaper, were found in two stores.
The paper, which compared vaccination campaigns to Nazi extermination camps, suggested that doctors and nurses be punished for "crimes against humanity" in trials they have called Nuremberg 2.0.
The Light has also featured an article by blogger Lasha Darkmoon, in which she argued that people should be able to question the Holocaust. Another article referred to author Eustace Mullins, previous member of the National Association for the Advancement of White People, as "renowned". His books include The Biological Jew and Adolf Hitler: An Appreciation.
The paper previously defended radio host Graham Hart, who called Jewish people "filth" and compared them to "rats" who "deserve to be wiped out". Hart was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison.
Retired Chief Inspector Andrew Smith found the copies of the Light at Sainsbury's stores in Surrey and East Sussex. Smith said the paper was an "extremist pamphlet" and continued: "I could hardly believe this was being made available in a local branch of Sainsbury's".
Sainsbury's told the BBC that the Light was left in stores in Warlingham and Newhaven without its permission. "We do not stock this newspaper and it is removed from any stores where it's left," a spokesperson for the supermarket said. "We apologise for any upset caused".
According to a review conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School, The Light not only presents misinformation but "includes content that is aimed at promoting participation...amongst adherents of conspiracy theories".
The paper has been linked to the British far right and climate change denial. It has also supported anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination movements, printing that vaccines are weaponised mind control devices.
On The Light's Telegram channel, they have endorsed content from far right group Patriotic Alternative. They have also promoted rallies against the "replacement" of white people.
The paper has been criticised by the anti-racist group Hope Not Hate for interviewing Anne Marie Waters, a UKIP politician who told ITV that she advocated reducing Muslim birthrates and stopping Muslim immigration.
The Light was founded by Darren Smith (also known as Darren Nesbitt) in 2020.
QuoteI recognize my comment was insensitive. I apologized to Jennie for taking away from her father the full attention he deserves.
Baseball Hall of Fame Takes Antisemitic Turn at Cincinnati Induction https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-150/vfcd7kcrv1z17c6ser2csoad4sjk5i
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Bench has responded after making an antisemitic comment during the Reds Hall of Fame press conference Saturday.
Bench has called his comment about Jewish people "insensitive." He made the comment as a joke responding to Pete Rose, who was talking about Gabe Paul, a former general manager of the Reds who was Jewish.
The Reds Hall of Fame was inducting Danny Graves, Bronson Arroyo and the late Paul, who was represented by his daughter Jennie Paul. The inductees were joined on stage by previous Reds Hall of Fame Classes. The two biggest stars on stage were Pete Rose and Bench.
The three new Hall of Fame inductees were given a chance to speak to make opening remarks.
"I don't know if you know this, but dad (Gabe Paul) started this Hall of Fame. He didn't start this Hall of Fame so he could be in it. He started this Hall of Fame for all of you," Paul said, gesturing to the Hall of Famers on stage with her.
Gabe Paul was the general manager of the Reds from 1951-1960. Paul died in 1998.
"He (Gabe Paul) was a minority himself, I don't know if many of you know that he was Jewish. He was a very big proponent for the underdog because he was an underdog himself. He went into the Latin leagues and the Negro leagues and he signed as many minority players as he could. Which strengthened the Reds. You have a team in Cincinnati today because of Gabe Paul, I'm so proud to be representing him so thank you so much," Paul said.
About fifteen minutes into the press conference, Pete Rose was given the opportunity to speak about the late Gabe Paul.
"I was right out of high school in 1960. Gabe Paul signed me to a contract. For $400 bucks a month," Rose said.
"That's cheap!" Jennie Paul interrupted.
After a few laughs, Johnny Bench chimed in.
"He was Jewish!" Bench said across the stage.
Some in the room laughed, other kept to themselves.
After the comment, Bench said he apologized to Jennie Paul for taking away from her father's honor.
Watchdog Jewish organization StopAntisemitism remarked on the incident.
https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites/status/1680744198192939008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1680744198192939008%7Ctwgr%5E34c984988c4586398c9664b5459866e406940ae8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stopantisemitism.org%2Fantisemitic-incidents-150%2Fvfcd7kcrv1z17c6ser2csoad4sjk5i
Here is Bench's full comment:
I recognize my comment was insensitive. I apologized to Jennie for taking away from her father the full attention he deserves. Gabe Paul earned his place in the Reds Hall of Fame, same as the others who stood on that stage, I am sorry that some of the focus is on my inappropriate remark instead of solely on Gabe's achievement.
WCPO has reached out to the Reds for comment, but they have not responded.
Roald Dahl museum to place apology plaque marking his antisemitism
The author said that Jews had switched 'from victims to barbarous murderers'
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/roald-dahl-museum-to-place-apology-plaque-marking-his-antisemitism-5NYrrTZOchYJ033S2HQy09
The Roald Dahl museum has said the author's racism was "undeniable and indelible" in an anti-racism statement published on their website.
In the statement, issued online and to be displayed on a panel in the museum's entryway, the charity said that they "deeply apologise" for the impact of his antisemitism.
The author of Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a "contradictory person," they said. "He could be kind...however, there are also recorded impacts of him being very unkind and worse, including writing and saying antisemitic things about Jewish people".
They maintain that Dahl's "creative legacy is an important part of the heritage of English literature, but importantly does not mean flawless".
Roald Dahl admitted in 1990 that he had "become antisemitic". In an interview with the New Statesman in 1983, he said: "There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity". "Even a stinker like Hitler didn't pick on them for no reason," he continued.
Dahl also said that Jews had "switched so rapidly from victims to barbarous murderers," and that the US was "so utterly dominated by the great Jewish financial institutions" that the country "dare not defy Israel".
The Roald Dahl museum worked on its apology with Jewish organisations, including the Board of Deputies, the Antisemitism Policy Trust, and the Communities Securities Trust. Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, said that the museum engaged with them "in good faith". He said "the desire of staff to educate themselves on antisemitism" was clear.
Two years ago, the author's family apologised for his antisemitism. The apology, which the museum has endorsed, said that the "prejudiced remarks... stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl's stories".
Roald Dahl's work has been criticised since his death. In 2018, plans to celebrate his work with a commemorative coin were dropped because of concerns at the Royal Mint over his antisemitism. They said he was "not regarded as an author of the highest reputation".
This February, the Telegraph reported that Dahl's books had been altered by "sensitivity readings". Dahl also changed his books himself. In the first edition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Oompa-Loompas were enslaved by Willy Wonka from the "deepest and darkest parts of the African jungle". By 1973, they were "little fantasy creatures".
The Roald Dahl museum was founded in 2001 by the author's widow, Liccy. Their objective as a charity is to "further the education of the public in the art of literature and creativity".
'It's out there on the box score': Johnny Bench doubles down on apology after making antisemitic joke
https://www.wcpo.com/sports/baseball/reds/its-out-there-on-the-box-score-johnny-bench-doubles-down-on-apology-after-making-antisemitic-joke
https://www.wcpo.com/sports/baseball/reds/its-out-there-on-the-box-score-johnny-bench-doubles-down-on-apology-after-making-antisemitic-joke
At a ceremony honoring the 2023 Johnny Bench Awards winners, the World Series champion once again spoke about the antisemitic joke he made during a Reds Hall of Fame press conference over the weekend.
Danny Graves, Bronson Arroyo and the late Gabe Paul were selected to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame this year. During their press conference Saturday, Paul's daughter Jennie spoke about her father's time as Cincinnati's general manager and his dedication to helping minority players.
"He was a minority himself — I don't know if many of you know that he was Jewish," Jennie Paul said. "He was a very big proponent for the underdog because he was an underdog himself. He went into the Latin leagues and the Negro leagues and he signed as many minority players as he could. Which strengthened the Reds. You have a team in Cincinnati today because of Gabe Paul, I'm so proud to be representing him so thank you so much."
Later on, Reds great Pete Rose spoke about signing a contract out of high school "for $400 a month."
"That's cheap!" Jennie Paul interrupted.
After a few laughs, Johnny Bench chimed in.
"He was Jewish!" Bench said across the stage.
Bench later apologized, saying in a statement: "I recognize my comment was insensitive. I apologized to Jennie for taking away from her father the full attention he deserves. Gabe Paul earned his place in the Reds Hall of Fame, same as the others who stood on that stage, I am sorry that some of the focus is on my inappropriate remark instead of solely on Gabe's achievement."
On Tuesday, Bench said he wanted to stand by his statement.
"It's out there on the box score," Bench said. "People know I misstepped and I apologized for it and that's where it will stay from now on. I've got too many people that I respect and love to offend at any point anyone at any time."
See video here:
http://theinfounderground.com/smf/index.php?topic=31220.0
QuoteFormer Mexican President Vicente Fox apologized to the Jewish community after dismissing political opponent Claudia Sheinbaum, a frontrunner in the developing 2024 presidential race, as a "Bulgarian Jew."
Former Mexican president calls leading Jewish Mexican politician a 'Bulgarian Jew' https://www.jta.org/2023/07/27/global/former-mexican-president-calls-leading-jewish-mexican-politician-a-bulgarian-jew
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox apologized to the Jewish community after dismissing political opponent Claudia Sheinbaum, a frontrunner in the developing 2024 presidential race, as a "Bulgarian Jew."
Fox, a right-wing populist and former Coca-Cola executive who was president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006, frequently critiques the country's current left-wing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in public appearances. Last week, he complained in an interview about López Obrador's move to stop monthly pension payments for retired presidents by using a derogatory slur to call out "lazy" people who "don't belong in the government or in the country," the Los Angeles Times reported.
Sheinbaum and other leaders of López Obrador's Morena party condemned Fox's comments. Fox then tweeted out rebuttals, calling Sheinbaum a "Bulgarian Jew" and Marcelo Ebrard, a former foreign minister also in the Morena party, a "French snob."
Fox is a frequent provocateur whose National Action Party is conservative and has strong ties to the Catholic Church. "The only Mexican is Xóchitl!" Fox added, referring to his preferred presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, a National Action senator.
Sheinbaum's father's family immigrated from Lithuania and her mother's family immigrated from Bulgaria. Ebrard is a descendant of French immigrants.
Fox later apologized, writing, "I have a profound respect for the Jewish community."
The episode highlighted how Sheinbaum, who rarely discusses her Jewish heritage, is already dealing with questions about her identity at the start of what will be an intense fight for her party's presidential nomination. The L.A. Times reported that she has been derided as a "foreigner" in political discourse and that she recently tweeted out her birth certificate in response.
https://twitter.com/Claudiashein/status/1674129481827581952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1674129481827581952%7Ctwgr%5E47487b23db36f989067de5dffddfc88d4d171507%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jta.org%2F2023%2F07%2F27%2Fglobal%2Fformer-mexican-president-calls-leading-jewish-mexican-politician-a-bulgarian-jew
Sheinbaum became Mexico City's first Jewish mayor when elected in 2018. Her popularity has soared since then, and she decided to leave the post to run for a presidential nomination against the incumbent in her party. She has emerged as the main competition for López Obrador in Morena, which is expected to name a nominee in September for next year's election.
If elected, Sheinbaum would be Mexico's first Jewish and first woman president.
Sheinbaum, 60, was also previously a well-respected physics and engineering professor who helped the United Nations research climate change.
QuoteAn Argentine restaurant has apologised after launching an 'Anne Frank burger' and 'Adolf fries' on their menu.
Outrage as Argentine restaurant launches 'Anne Frank burger' and 'Adolf fries' Jewish community leaders said the actions of Honky Donky restaurant were 'offensive'
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/outrage-as-argentine-restaurant-launches-anne-frank-burger-and-adolf-fries-7wWra6zK5MybPFTW1FyvCI
An Argentine restaurant has apologised after launching an 'Anne Frank burger' and 'Adolf fries' on their menu.
The Honky Donky restaurant in Rafaela, Santa Fe Province launched the products named after Holocaust victim Anne Frank and German dictator Adolf Hitler.
The 'Anne Frank burger' which is on sale for £9.90 (3,500 Argentine pesos) consists of a beef patty, tomato, pickles, lettuce and mayonnaise.
The 'Adolf fries' are made with cheddar, bacon and green onion.
Unsurprisingly, neither products are kosher.
Local Jewish community leaders have condemned the restaurant and threatened legal action against the Honky Donky.
In a statement on Facebook, the Rafaela Jewish Community said: "In light of the fact that a fast-food place in our city has trivially used the names of Anne Frank and Adolf to identify their products, the Jewish Community of Rafaela expresses it's repulsion and indignation."
The statement went on to say that "legal action would be taken" over the matter. "We appreciate the great support received," they concluded.
The Israelite Cultural and Sports Association 'IL Peretz', also sent a letter to the restaurant.
According to several Argentinian media outlets, it said naming the products after Anne Frank and Adolf Hitler was "offensive, insulting and disgusting".
It adds: "It is not only offensive to the victims of racist genocide, but also offends human dignity."
Following the backlash, the restaurant issued an apology and agreed to rename the items.
In a statement on social media, they said: "We apologise for the offence caused." They noted that the Anne Frank burger was now named after Anne Boleyn, one of the wives of Henry VIII.
It also agreed to name products after figures who promoted peace and stood up for human rights including Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela.
Note: This is also Picture of the Day. See http://theinfounderground.com/smf/index.php?topic=29481.msg99637#msg99637
QuoteActor Jamie Foxx has issued an apology to "the Jewish community and everyone who was offended" by a social media post that appeared to suggest Jews were responsible for killing Jesus and are therefore inherently untrustworthy.
Jamie Foxx 'sorry for causing offence' to Jewish community with 'they killed Jesus' post In a now-deleted Instagram post Foxx appeared to endorse the myth of Jewish deicide, but later denied this was his intention
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/jamie-foxx-sorry-for-causing-offense-to-jewish-community-with-they-killed-jesus-post-78WrxKAY5VhW8bVgCkpaEp
Actor Jamie Foxx has issued an apology to "the Jewish community and everyone who was offended" by a social media post that appeared to suggest Jews were responsible for killing Jesus and are therefore inherently untrustworthy.
In a now-deleted Instagram post published on Saturday, the Django Unchained actor, 55, wrote: "They killed this dude name Jesus...What do you think they'll do to you? [sic]" The message was accompanied by the cryptic hashtags #fakefriends and #fakelove.
While the post did not specifically mention Jews, the "they" alluded to was widely interpreted by social media users to be referring to the Jewish people, and to be endorsing the false, antisemitic claim that Jews are collectively responsible for the death of Jesus – a Jew killed by the ruling Roman authorities of the time.
The false accusation of Jewish deicide has been levelled against the Jewish people for millennia and has persisted despite declarations from Christian leaders there is no evidence to support this claim.
In his 2011 book Jesus of Nazareth, Part II, Pope Benedict XVI said: "There is no basis in the scripture for the argument that the Jewish people were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ."
Foxx's post continued to garner attention on Saturday after actress Jennifer Aniston, who rose to prominence playing a Jewish character, Rachel Green, in the US sitcom Friends, appeared to "like" the message.
Aniston later published a statement on her own account claiming she had liked Foxx's post neither "on purpose [nor] by accident".
The statement, which did not specify what she had intended, read: "This really makes me sick. I did not 'like' this post on purpose or by accident. And more importantly, I want to be clear to my friends and anyone hurt by this showing up in their feed - I do not support any type of antisemitism. And I truly don't tolerate hate of any kind. Period."
After deleting his original post, Foxx published an apology for his "choice of words" in which he insisted it was "never [his] intent" to cause "offence".
Foxx, whose real name is Eric Marlon Bishop, said: "I want to apologize to the Jewish community and everyone who was offended by my post. I now know my choice of words have caused offense and I'm sorry. That was never my intent."
He continued: "To clarify, I was betrayed by a fake friend and that's what I meant with 'they' not anything more.
"I only have love in my heart for everyone. I love and support the Jewish community."
Foxx signed off by offering his "deepest apologies to anyone who was offended", and a series of heart emoji, adding "nothing but love always".
Arrogant kikes demand that a Christian delete a tweet they don't like, but she, and other Christians, force a kike to apologize. <lol>
QuoteA few hours after their initial condemnations, in the face of a wave of disapproval from Christian Twitter accounts, both Miller and Weinstein recanted their criticism of Marbach with Miller tweeting: "I posted something earlier that conveyed a message I did not intend... I sincerely apologize to Lizzie and to everyone who read my post."
https://twitter.com/MaxMillerOH/status/1691617105924272208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1691617105924272208%7Ctwgr%5E279994c09e651f0abe668dbada7d0f86d8d0bccc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fjewish-congressmen-attack-former-trump-staffer-over-controversial-jesus-tweet-2zgW64C18BTl7R2IOybhQ5
Jewish congressmen attack former Trump staffer over controversial Jesus tweetThe politicians called on Lizzie Marbach to apologise after saying 'all knees must bend to Jesus'
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/jewish-congressmen-attack-former-trump-staffer-over-controversial-jesus-tweet-2zgW64C18BTl7R2IOybhQ5
Republican politicians in the state of Ohio have become embroiled in a fiery political spat after criticising a political operative for saying that "every knee will bow to Jesus."
Lizzie Marbach, the director of communications for the Ohio Right to Life anti-abortion group, initially tweeted that "there's no hope for any of us outside of having faith in Jesus Christ alone."
She initially faced criticism from Max Miller, a Jewish Congressman from Ohio's 7th district and former Trump White House aide, who was endorsed by Donald Trump when he ran for the seat in 2022.
Miller, who was appointed to the Trump administration's Holocaust Memorial council, sarcastically replied to Marbach, saying: "God says that Jewish people are the chosen ones, but yet you say we have no hope. Thanks for your pearl of wisdom today."
Marbach then replied to Miller saying: "Sorry, Congressman, but these are the words of Jesus himself.
"'Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
"No one has hope outside of Jesus Christ and every knee will bow one day declaring that Jesus Chris is Lord."
Miller then escalated the broiges, calling her post "One of the most bigoted tweets I have ever seen" and urging her to delete it saying: "religious freedom in the United States applies to every religion."
Miller was joined by another prominent Ohio politician from across the aisle, Democratic Representative Casey Weinstein. Weinstein, who is also Jewish, said in a now-deleted tweet: "We may be on opposite sides of the aisle, but I stand with Max on this. Delete it, Lizzie."
A few hours after their initial condemnations, in the face of a wave of disapproval from Christian Twitter accounts, both Miller and Weinstein recanted their criticism of Marbach with Miller tweeting: "I posted something earlier that conveyed a message I did not intend... I sincerely apologize to Lizzie and to everyone who read my post."
Many figures in the far-right wing of the Republican party supported Marbach, telling her that she had "unified Christian Twitter."
UPDATE - AUGUST 17, 2023The jews have gotten revenge for the new Miller having been forced to apologize. Which means, of course, you never can trust - and must never accept - an apology from a jew. <:^0
Christian Woman Gets FIRED After Jewish Ohio Congressmen Accuse Her of 'Bigotry' For Sharing Gospelhttps://www.informationliberation.com/?id=63917
QuoteA Conservative MP has apologised for failing to do due diligence in hiring a disgraced councillor who had shared posts about "Nazi-Zionists" and "British MPs working for Israel" — but has insisted that he will not give him the sack.
Tory MP hires councillor suspended by Labour after posting about 'Zionist lobby'Backbencher Paul Bristow apologises for the move but insists he won't sack the ex-Labour official
https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/tory-mp-hires-councillor-suspended-by-labour-after-posting-about-'zionist-lobby'-XOCDkMRAfTh53KwEYhfpQ
A Conservative MP has apologised for failing to do due diligence in hiring a disgraced councillor who had shared posts about "Nazi-Zionists" and "British MPs working for Israel" — but has insisted that he will not give him the sack.
Peterborough MP Paul Bristow said he knew Ansar Ali had been suspended by Labour in 2021 for alleged antisemitism but had not "closely checked" the reasons for the disciplinary action. He had not seen a JC article revealing further controversial posts by Ali, he added.
The MP is continuing to employ Ali, a former Labour councillor, as a caseworker and translator in his constituency office.
Bristow said he wanted to give the former councillor the chance to "make amends". Ali "regrets deeply this social media activity and now sees clearly why it is antisemitic", he added.
Ali served as a Labour representative on Peterborough council from 2015 until May this year. He was suspended by Sir Keir Starmer's party in 2021 after posting that he was "boycotting the biased BBC" because it "didn't want to upset the Zionist Israeli government lobby".
He was reinstated in July 2022 after a party investigation. But last year, the JC revealed that he had also shared a post asking, "How many British MPs are working for Israel?" He had also posted a claim that a Nazi-era medal, struck for propaganda purposes, with a Star of David on one side and a swastika on the other, was evidence of "Nazi-Zionist collaboration".
Bristow acknowledged that he had been aware of Ali's suspension when he gave him his job, and that although he had been a magistrate, community activist and councillor for many years, "this does not give him a free pass".
However, in an article for the JC, Bristow admitted: "I should have checked closely the reasons for his suspension back in 2021."
And he recognised that "many would be astonished to see me welcome one of these former Labour councillors into my office".
The MP said that on being made aware of the inflammatory posts, he had discussed the issue with Ali. "He regrets deeply this social media activity and now sees clearly why it is antisemitic," Bristow wrote for the JC. "In an environment where material such as this (and worse) is being shared openly, he should have known much better.
"I know some will disagree with my decision to give Ansar a chance to make amends. People may be disappointed. I understand this. But I am convinced that Ansar will stand with me in the fight against hatred and antisemitism. He will use his experience and mistakes as lessons for others.
"Ultimately the proof will be in actions, not words, and I look forward to this being demonstrated. By having his support, I will make a bigger difference than asking him to walk away."
He also said that antisemitism was "a stain on my city", and that the time had come to "lift this shadow" with antisemitism training for all elected officials.
Ali told the JC: "In the past I have commented and shared social media posts that I now fully understand would have caused hurt and distress to members of the Jewish faith. This was wrong, and I deeply regret any hurt I have caused to the Jewish community and others.
"I have always considered myself someone who works to bring diverse communities in Peterborough and beyond together. These specific examples of social media activity fell well short of this aspiration.
"I shall work to ensure all community leaders strive to eliminate antisemitism and all forms of racial hatred and division wherever it is expressed. I aspire for a just and peaceful world where humanity comes first. Justice for All. Love for all, hate for none."
A further 13 Labour councillors were suspended by Labour at the same time as Ali in 2021, along with a Conservative, Ishfaq Hussein, who had shared posts accusing Israel of "genocide" and a claim that "Zionism is one of the worst afflictions in the world."
He was reinstated last year and said then that he "deeply regretted" the posts and that he accepted he had "acted irresponsibly".
Bristow claimed that although social media posts hostile to Jews sometimes stemmed from criticism of Israel's government, this this "all too easily leads to holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel", while "you may often see people demanding Israel act to a set of standards not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation".
Such statements, says Bristow, clearly meet the International Holocaust Memorial Association's definition of antisemitism.
"We need to go much further than simply apologising and moving on," Bristow writes. "I think all councillors in Peterborough need to go through antisemitism training as a matter of course. We have a deserved reputational issue. We owe it to Peterborough to address it."
QuoteIn response, Robinson did not publicly apologize for the posts but he said he would no longer make them. He met with a group of local Jewish leaders in 2021 and says he privately apologized to them.
Meet Mark Robinson, the Republican frontrunner in the North Carolina governor's race accused of antisemitismhttps://www.jta.org/2023/09/06/politics/meet-mark-robinson-the-republican-frontrunner-in-the-north-carolina-governors-race-accused-of-antisemitism
The Facebook post in early August condemning antisemitic flyers left around Raleigh might not have been surprising, coming from North Carolina's lieutenant governor.
But for Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson, the statement marked something of a change in tone. After the Republican was elected to the state's second-highest office in 2020, revelations emerged that he was the prolific author of Facebook posts downplaying the threat of Nazism, invoking antisemitic stereotypes and targeting other minority groups.
At the time, Robinson's track record earned him criticism from local Jewish leaders and national commentators; the Republican Jewish Coalition called his comments "clearly antisemitic." In response, Robinson did not publicly apologize for the posts but he said he would no longer make them. He met with a group of local Jewish leaders in 2021 and says he privately apologized to them.
Now, as Robinson runs for governor — and increasingly appears on track to become the Republican nominee next year — North Carolinians must decide whether Robinson has earned their trust. For some local Jews, that means taking him more seriously.
"Most of us find it hard to believe that he will be the candidate," said Randall Kaplan, a board member of the Jewish Democratic Council of America who is also married to Rep. Kathy Manning, a Jewish Democrat who represents North Carolina in Congress. "I think most of us are in denial."
Here's what you need to know about Robinson, his contentious social media presence and his campaign to lead North Carolina.
He's a political newcomer whose star is rising.
Robinson has risen rapidly in state politics in recent years after a life spent out of the spotlight. A native of Greensboro, his campaign website says he was the ninth of 10 children and that his alcoholic father abused his mother. He studied at the University of North Carolina Greensboro with hopes of becoming a history professor, has worked in furniture factories and also opened a daycare center with his wife. He filed for bankruptcy in 1998, 1999 and 2003.
Robinson's improbable rise in the GOP began in early April 2018, when he spoke before the Greensboro City Council about preserving gun owners' rights following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, two months earlier in which 17 students and teachers were killed.
"I'm a law-abiding citizen who's never shot anybody," he said in the four-minute speech. "Every time we have one of these shootings, nobody wants to put the blame where it goes, which is at the shooter's feet. You want to put it at my feet."
The appearance went viral. Robinson went on in 2020 to win the lieutenant governor's job with 51.6% of the vote against his Democratic opponent. He is also a National Rifle Association board member and speaker at events calling for gun rights, including the NRA's annual meeting this past April.
Now, Robinson is the Republican frontrunner in the high-profile contest for governor. At a June rally in Greensboro, former President Donald Trump pledged to endorse Robinson, calling him "one of the great stars of the party."
Other candidates on the Republican side include State Treasurer Dale Folwell, former Rep. Mark Walker, former State Senator Andy Wells and former healthcare executive Jesse Thomas.
Whoever wins the March 2024 primary will likely face the state's Jewish attorney general, Josh Stein, who is so far running unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Robinson would be North Carolina's first Black governor, Stein its first Jewish one. Polls show them running a close race, though the election is more than a year away. Stein is winning the campaign funds battle to date: His campaign raised about $6 million this year through June, while Robinson's campaign raised $2.2 million during the same period.
Stein has also seized upon some of Robinson's comments. Robinson's "brand of extremism is off the charts," Stein told Charlotte radio station WFAE.
Robinson has a history of inflammatory comments referencing Jews and other groups.
Before his first political campaign in 2020, Robinson was an active and controversial Facebook user whose posts downplayed the need to discuss the Nazis' evil.
"I am so sick of seeing and hearing people STILL talk about Nazis and Hitler and how evil and manipulative they were. NEWS FLASH PEOPLE, THE NAZIS (National Socialist) ARE GONE! We did away with them," he declared in a 2017 post first uncovered by Jewish Insider, which has tracked Robinson's comments since he took office.
"Marxist Socialist(s)" and communism pose the bigger threat and control the media, he maintained. "After all, who do you think has been pushing this Nazi boogeyman narrative all these years?"
Later that year, in another post, Robinson wrote, "Please STOP wasting my time, your time, and the time of your fellow conservatives talking about, and making mention of, the NAZIS who have been DEAD since 1945."
He has also targeted other groups, including LGBTQ people, Muslims and others. "Note to liberals; I'll accept 'Gay Pride' when you accept 'White Pride,'" he wrote in 2014, according to screenshots posted by the liberal news site Talking Points Memo. Another post read, "I believe that homosexuality is a sin and that those people who are 'proudly coming out of the closet' are standing in open rebellion against God."
In 2018, he railed on Facebook that the hit superhero movie "Black Panther" was "created by an agnostic Jew and put to film by satanic marxist." Invoking an antisemitic trope about Jewish pursuit of money and using a Yiddish slur for Black people, Robinson, who is Black, wrote that the film was "only created to pull the shekels out of your Schvartze pockets." The following year, the News and Observer in Raleigh reported that he responded affirmatively to a far-right religious leader who invoked an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
After national news organizations called attention to Robinson's posts after his election, he said they would not continue.
"When I made those posts as a private citizen, I was speaking directly to issues that I'm passionate about," he said upon taking office. "As a public servant, I have to put those opinions behind me and do what's right for everyone in North Carolina."
The CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Matt Brooks, said at the time he was not satisfied with Robinson's response. "His refusal to apologize is troubling and unacceptable to us," Brooks said.
As lieutenant governor, Robinson has tried to play it straighter.
While Robinson has not issued a public apology, he met with Jewish leaders from Greensboro shortly after taking office to discuss their concerns about his posts. Marilyn Chandler, CEO of the Greensboro Jewish Federation, helped to organize and participated in the virtual meeting, which included Jewish participants as well as Robinson and members of his staff.
During the meeting, Chandler and other Jewish leaders expressed their deep concerns about antisemitic remarks Robinson had made on social media prior to becoming lieutenant governor. He shared a press statement addressing these issues, though it is unclear if the statement has been released publicly.
Mike Lonergan, communications director for Robinson's campaign for governor, told JTA that Robinson "met with dozens of rabbis and Jewish leaders from across NC" after taking office, and that he "expressed remorse, and communicated a desire to learn more about the Jewish community in an effort to understand how he can better serve them as an elected official."
After speaking with several rabbis across the state, JTA was unable to independently confirm additional meetings Robinson had with Jewish leaders beyond the one in Greensboro.
Robinson also addressed his contentious Facebook posts and said he apologized for them in his memoir. The book, titled "We Are The Majority: The Life and Passions of a Patriot," was published in September 2022.
"It came off the wrong way," he wrote, according to a photo of the book's text shared by Lonergan. "When people called me and asked about it, that's what I told them. And I apologized to them. It's the only time I've ever apologized for anything I put on Facebook. It did come out wrong. I knew the truth of what I was trying to say, but I should have chosen different words."
His social media presence of late has taken on a different character. Recently, on his official page as lieutenant governor, Robinson has appeared to make a point of condemning antisemitism publicly — including the flyers in Raleigh. Adopting a pro-Israel outlook that is de rigueur among Republicans, he has also called out recent criticism of Israel by Democrats.
"Democrat Congresswoman Jayapal labeling Israel a 'racist state' is unjust and plain wrong," he wrote on Facebook in response to comments made in July by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, an influential Democrat from Washington who later walked the statement back. "These harmful antisemitic comments are not representative of our nation's values. We stand firmly with Israel, our steadfast ally."
But Robinson has not entirely avoided hot-button issues or the controversy that can accompany them. His tenure as second-in-command has included a campaign against what he sees as left-wing political indoctrination in schools. In March 2021, he formed the Fairness and Accountability in the Classroom for Teachers and Students, or FACTS, task force, and in an August press conference, he said he was combating teachers who put "undue pressure on young minds to accept their way of thinking."
Earlier this summer, he went viral after speaking at a conference held by Moms for Liberty, the conservative group that is fueling book bans in school districts across the United States.
"Whether you're talking about Adolf Hitler, whether you're talking about Chairman Mao, whether you're talking about Stalin, whether you're talking about Pol Pot, whether you're talking about [Fidel] Castro in Cuba, or whether you're talking about a dozen other despots all around the globe, it is time for us to get back and start reading some of those quotes. It's time for us to start teaching our children some of those quotes," he said. "It's time for us to start teaching our children about the dirty, despicable, awful things that those communist and socialist despots did in our history."
People who viewed a clip of the speech without the condemnatory final sentence blasted Robinson for endorsing the views of history's worst dictators. Stein's campaign said in a press release that Robinson "promotes reading of quotes from global dictators." The full video of the speech, however, showed that Robinson was not endorsing the dictators' views.
Jewish groups are voicing concern — though Robinson has Jewish supporters, too.
In July, the North Carolina Jewish Clergy Association, the Democratic Majority for Israel and six North Carolina Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to state Republican leaders asking them to strongly condemn Robinson's remarks.
"His inflammatory statements invoke harmful stereotypes and conspiracy theories, downplay the Holocaust, and denigrate entire groups of human beings," the letter said. "They are not just deeply troubling, but downright dangerous."
To date, none of the people who received the letter have publicly responded to it. Manning, a signatory on the letter, said she remained concerned about Robinson.
"The fact that we have a gubernatorial candidate in the state of North Carolina who makes antisemitic comments, who veers on Holocaust denial, is very frightening," Manning, co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, told JTA.
For Rabbi Barbara Thiede, assistant professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the danger of Robinson's rise comes from his potential to inspire extremists to take action. She said she thought some of her fellow Jews may not be adequately concerned by the possibility that he could become governor.
"They may not appreciate the danger that Robinson and others like him pose to their safety," Thiede said. "Speech is not unrelated to action, even if one person is doing the speaking and the next is taking up the weapon — whatever that may be."
Not all North Carolina Jews oppose Robinson's candidacy. Jeremy Stephenson, a Charlotte attorney who previously ran as a Republican for local school board and served for two years as general counsel of the Mecklenburg County Republican Party, said he plans to vote for Robinson in the primary.
Stephenson dismisses the "hyperventilation from the left" about the candidate and told JTA that he isn't worried about "isolated Facebook posts which are then blasted in paid social media from the Dems."
"The Jewish Republicans I know are strongly in favor of Robinson, particularly in contrast with Stein," Stephenson said. "I think Josh Stein has far more antisemitic friends on the left who he has been unwilling to distance himself from, and will accept donations from, in running for governor."
Stephenson said he believes Robinson's embrace of religion in the public sphere would have benefits for Jews in the state. "I think that Robinson in many ways will embolden more people to be more comfortable expressing their religious beliefs," he said. "And that includes Jews."
While it's clear that Robinson's past comments will draw more attention in the coming months, as the primary season heats up, it's unclear how much North Carolina Jews will hear that chatter in their synagogues.
At Temple of Israel in Wilmington, the oldest Jewish congregation in the state, Rabbi Emily Losben-Ostrov said she's keenly aware of the diverse viewpoints in her congregation, which she characterizes as "purple."
Losben-Ostrov serves on the steering committee of the Jewish Clergy Association, which authorized the letter about Robinson. At the same time, she said she talks about Jewish values but not about any single politician or political party from the bimah.
"I want the synagogue to be a place for unity and for escaping some of the difficulties of the things that divide us," she said, adding, "It's a dual job I need to do. One is to stand up to hate and two is to also keep our community connected."
Ohio school board member apologizes for giving Nazi salute at public meeting
https://www.jta.org/2023/09/07/united-states/ohio-school-board-member-apologizes-for-giving-nazi-salute-at-public-meeting
A school board member outside Dayton, Ohio, has apologized after delivering a Nazi salute and uttering "Sieg heil" at the board's president during a public meeting this week.
Anne Zakkour was initially defiant when fellow board members and local Jewish groups denounced her after she made the gesture, during a meeting Tuesday of the Tipp City Board of Education. The gesture came after the board president chastised her for trying to interrupt him.
The board president, Simon Patry, "does have a dictator mentality," Zakkour told the Dayton Jewish Observer. She said she was making a "sarcastic gesture" of "submission to a board member trying to act like a dictator" and did not intend it as alarming to Jews.
"That was in no way meant to be anything towards the Jewish people," Zakkour told the Jewish newspaper. "If we don't identify, even at a local level, if we don't call out suppression and oppression, I'm not an expert at this, but isn't that how some of this snowballed with Hitler and Nazism?"
But Zakkour expressed a more regretful tone after two other board members; the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton; Ohio's regional Anti-Defamation League office; and Ohio Jewish Communities, the umbrella organization of Ohio's eight Jewish federations, all denounced her actions. (A third board member, who was out of town during the incident, declined to comment.)
"Invoking Nazism with a 'Sieg heil' salute during a school board meeting, a place meant to support and guide our youth, is outrageous, offensive, and potentially dangerous," Kelly Fishman, regional director of the ADL based in Cleveland, told the Dayton Jewish Observer. "Hateful gestures and words cannot be normalized by local officials who are tasked with representing everyone in their communities."
Tipp City, located about 16 miles north of Dayton, is home to about 10,000 people. It does not have a large Jewish population; a synagogue in a nearby town that counts Tipp City among the populations served describes itself as "a very small Reform congregation."
The local federation CEO, Cathy Gardner, said she did not believe Zakkour "had antisemitic intent" but said the board member's actions "highlight the need for education and a deeper understanding for all."
Ohio does not currently have a law requiring Holocaust education in schools; last year, a Republican lawmaker on the other side of the state made headlines by suggesting that a law he sponsored about instruction on "divisive concepts" would call for schools to teach from the Nazi perspective in addition to their victims' perspective when presenting about the Holocaust.
"Flippant, casual references to Hitler, the Nazi regime, or the Holocaust grossly diminish the tragedy that still affects so many," Gardner said. "Seeing this image splashed in the news in reference to a disagreement at a board meeting desensitizes people to the terror that ensued at the command of Hitler."
And Howie Beigelman, president of Ohio Jewish Communities, said, "It's never acceptable to use a Nazi salute in debating and discussing policy or political differences."
Following the criticism, Zakkour told the Dayton Jewish Observer in an email, "In hindsight, I regret having done this."
She added, "After four years of attacks by a board member that I believe has been acting as a dictator spreading lies and division, my action was spur of the moment and I'm very sorry for that. My heart is open to all religions, and it was never my intent to offend anyone of the Jewish community."
Zakkour's current term on the board expires in December, and she has previously said she isn't running for reelection. Patry shocked locals by announcing at the Tuesday meeting that he would be resigning from the board, effective immediately, for unrelated reasons; he has since called on Zakkour to resign over her conduct.
Zakkour has faced previous calls to step down. A concerned citizens' group sought to force Zakkour off the board over what their complaint alleged was a flagrant misuse of authority and power. A local court dismissed the challenge earlier this year, and the citizens' group opted not to advance their claim.
From Information Liberation
Adidas CEO Apologizes to ADL's Greenblatt for Saying He Doesn't Think Kanye West is a 'Bad Person'
https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=63985
Adidas Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden issued an apology to Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt for saying on a podcast earlier this week that he doesn't think Kanye "Ye" West is a "bad person" despite his "unfortunate" statements.
"Good to speak with @Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden this morning. Bjorn apologized for his misstatement & reiterated that Adidas is committed to fighting #antisemitism & is completely opposed to the ugly hate expressed by @kanyewest," Greenblatt announced Thursday on Twitter. "Glad Adidas, @ADL & @FCASorg are working together to #FightHateForGood."
https://twitter.com/JGreenblattADL/status/1704899472654819635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1704899472654819635%7Ctwgr%5E8bc97375c8393f6e4a1ae4406ccac4db0d804e8b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.informationliberation.com%2F%3Fid%3D63985
Gulden said in a podcast that Ye made some statements that weren't "good" and he found the situation "very unfortunate because I don't think he meant what he said and I don't think he's a bad person -- it just came across that way."
https://twitter.com/TheStockroomUK/status/1704831864211468666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1704831864211468666%7Ctwgr%5E8bc97375c8393f6e4a1ae4406ccac4db0d804e8b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.informationliberation.com%2F%3Fid%3D63985
Adidas further apologized in a statement to Bloomberg, writing: "Our decision to end our partnership with Ye because of his unacceptable comments and behavior was absolutely the right one. Our stance has not changed: Hate of any kind has no place in sports or society, and we remain committed to fighting it."
Twitter/X owner Elon Musk revealed earlier this month that the "extremely powerful" ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt -- who was "instrumental" in getting President Trump banned from social media -- also sought to shake him down for donations just like he did to Adidas, the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1699512845413556316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1699512845413556316%7Ctwgr%5Ea1457e824a5ff2753a045f63b80f803c5feddb3d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.informationliberation.com%2F%3Fid%3D63985
Greenblatt told The Breakfast Club last year that he organized the cancelation of Ye because "if we don't get him" then the "myth" of Jewish power will spread.
https://twitter.com/LegendaryEnergy/status/1600641745644974080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1600641745644974080%7Ctwgr%5Ea1457e824a5ff2753a045f63b80f803c5feddb3d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.informationliberation.com%2F%3Fid%3D63985
QuoteAccording to Hardis, during halftime, "Brooklyn's coach acknowledged using this word as the play call, apologized, and agreed to change it when the teams returned for the second half." Beachwood school leaders told the game officials that should the use of "Nazi" continue, they would pull their players off the field.
Cleveland Area High School Football Team Under Fire for 'Nazi' Playhttps://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-159/cleveland-area-high-school-football-team-under-fire-for-nazi-play
On Friday night, Beachwood hosted Brooklyn in a Chagrin Valley Conference high school football clash. However, words that were spoken on the playing field overshadowed the performances of the players.
In a letter to the Beachwood Schools community on Saturday, Superintendent Dr. Robert Hardis announced that a number of antisemitic incidents took place on the field.
Hardis stated that he learned late in the first half of the game that Brooklyn's team was repeatedly using the word "Nazi" to call out a play. Game officials were notified, as were Brooklyn's athletic director and head coach.
The Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism called for the Brooklyn School District Superintendent to hold his coaching staff accountable.
(https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cc20f51ca525b73bdd50e3a/db40c799-80c8-4618-a74a-ced192e691f4/Screen+Shot+2023-09-24+at+12.32.35+PM.jpg?format=1500w)
According to Hardis, during halftime, "Brooklyn's coach acknowledged using this word as the play call, apologized, and agreed to change it when the teams returned for the second half." Beachwood school leaders told the game officials that should the use of "Nazi" continue, they would pull their players off the field.
But while Hardis says that to his knowledge, "Nazi" was not used during the second half, members of Beachwood's team said that several Brooklyn players were using "a racial slur freely throughout the night."
Superintendent Dr. Ted Caleris released the following statement:
"On behalf of everyone in the Brooklyn City Schools family, we offer our sincerest apologies to the members of the Beachwood football family and school community for the hurtful, insensitive, and entirely inappropriate choice of language used during the first half of this past Friday night's football game. Our football coaching staff expressed their regret to the Beachwood football family immediately during the contest, and took corrective measures in the second half, in finishing the contest. While to the knowledge of the Brooklyn City Schools, this language was not directed to any single individual, the choice in using it at all, was utterly and absolutely wrong. Brooklyn City Schools officials are looking more closely into this matter in order to determine what steps, if any, will be emerge as a result of this incident. The isolated incident does not represent the Brooklyn schools family on the whole, in our efforts to uphold tradition and pride of our diverse school community."
QuoteA leading Canadian lawmaker apologized, and then resigned from his leadership role, after inviting a former Nazi soldier to attend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Parliament last week.
Top Canadian lawmaker resigns after inviting former Nazi soldier to Zelensky speech https://www.jta.org/2023/09/26/global/top-canadian-lawmaker-apologizes-after-inviting-former-nazi-soldier-to-zelensky-speech
A leading Canadian lawmaker apologized, and then resigned from his leadership role, after inviting a former Nazi soldier to attend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Parliament last week.
Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota said he had not known that 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka had volunteered with the Waffen SS Galicia Division in Ukraine during World War II when he invited Hunka to be his guest for Zelensky's speech. The combat division was part of the Nazi army.
"I subsequently became aware of more information which causes me to regret the decision to do so," Rota said.
Rota drew attention to Hunka's presence before Zelensky's speech, saying that the resident of his Ontario district was "a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service." Zelensky joined the assembly in applauding Hunka, pumping his fist in the air in acknowledgment.
Jewish advocacy groups were quick to condemn the ovation, including B'nai Brith Canada, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. The statements followed a report from the Forward about Hunka's background.
"Canada's Jewish community stands firmly with Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression," the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said in a statement. "But we can't stay silent when crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are whitewashed."
Hunka's Waffen-SS division "was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable," the Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement Sunday.
Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said he was distressed by Rota's oversight but did not join in calls for Rota's resignation coming from some advocates and lawmakers, including in his own party.
"It's extremely upsetting that this happened. The speaker has acknowledged his mistake and has apologized," Trudeau said. "But this is something that is deeply embarrassing to the Parliament of Canada and by extension to all Canadians."
A day later, Rota stepped down as the House of Commons' presiding officer, effective Wednesday. He will remain in the lawmaking body.
In his first apology, Rota emphasized that his office alone was responsible for not vetting Hunka adequately. "I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world," he said. "I accept full responsibility for my actions."
In his second, issued in the Parliament and accompanying his resignation, Rota said, "I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognizing an individual in the House. That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including the Jewish community in Canada and around the world, in addition to survivors of Nazi atrocities in Poland, among other nations."
The episode drew notice from the Kremlin, which cited the presence of Nazis in Ukraine as a pretense for its invasion of the country in February 2022. "Such sloppiness of memory is outrageous," a Kremlin spokesman said in response to Hunka's recognition.
Prior to the Russian invasion, a tide of rising nationalism within Ukraine had included rallies in honor of the Waffen SS unit, which unlike the majority of Ukrainian volunteers during World War II fought against the Communist forces that would ultimately prevail. Zelensky denounced the rallies at the time.
More recently, the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Philadelphia temporarily covered a local monument to the Waffen SS division after drawing criticism for honoring it. That criticism was also spurred by reporting in the Forward, which has been covering Nazi and Nazi collaborator monuments across North America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxiyVqjYeUY&t=1s
CANADA'S NAZI CELEBRATION GOES VIRAL https://sonar21.com/canadas-nazi-celebration-goes-viral/
Green Party apologises after tweet wishing 'happy Yom Kippur' to Jews The party used an illustration of a Chanukiah for the High Holy Days post
https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/green-party-apologises-after-tweet-wishing-happy-yom-kippur-to-jews-2CNJVSIsEuIhQLM8QSUMC7
The Green Party of England and Wales has apologised after one of their branches wished the Jewish community a "happy Yom Kippur."
A social media post appeared on the Twitter/X page of the Brighton and Hove Green Party, which read: "Happy Yom Kippur to all those who celebrate! We wish everyone observing this Jewish holiday a very happy and holy celebration." The illustration also used the standard year, rather than the Jewish year, 5784 as is customary.
(https://images.ctfassets.net/tyagww523muq/4jF5VpONg8l17rYYkIARwE/eb7ffca39eb8028a19b15dfe40231516/Screenshot_2023-09-26_at_15.30.03.png?w=585&q=70)
The post on the Brighton and Hove Green Party account
Users on social media pointed out that the post was illustrated with a nine-branched Chanukiah, used to celebrate Chanukah rather than Yom Kippur.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Green Party said: "Many volunteers help run the local party and sometimes we have the best of intentions but simply get things wrong. That is what has happened on this occasion.
"We are very sorry for the offence that will have been caused. We are removing the post and will be sharing an apology on our Brighton and Hove Twitter feed."
There are multiple synagogues in the Brighton area as well as a new Jewish community hub.
Across the pond, Republican member of Congress Marjorie Taylor Green was mocked for her own similar post, in which she misspelled the customary greeting for Yom Kippur. Green deleted the post, before resharing without the menorah image.
https://twitter.com/JaredEMoskowitz/status/1705988281928651257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1705988281928651257%7Ctwgr%5E807abfc2ddfe71b788f7fda0fbcacd73955a5480%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fgreen-party-apologises-after-tweet-wishing-happy-yom-kippur-to-jews-2CNJVSIsEuIhQLM8QSUMC7
https://twitter.com/JaredEMoskowitz/status/1705988281928651257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1705988281928651257%7Ctwgr%5E807abfc2ddfe71b788f7fda0fbcacd73955a5480%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fgreen-party-apologises-after-tweet-wishing-happy-yom-kippur-to-jews-2CNJVSIsEuIhQLM8QSUMC7
https://twitter.com/DrewSav/status/1706023032672616649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1706023032672616649%7Ctwgr%5E807abfc2ddfe71b788f7fda0fbcacd73955a5480%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fgreen-party-apologises-after-tweet-wishing-happy-yom-kippur-to-jews-2CNJVSIsEuIhQLM8QSUMC7
Quote from: yankeedoodle on September 28, 2023, 11:31:04 PM
Green Party apologises after tweet wishing 'happy Yom Kippur' to Jews
The party used an illustration of a Chanukiah for the High Holy Days post
Is it true that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are when the most Jews go to a Synagogue ?
Read that once.
QuoteTim McFarland, the coach of Brooklyn High School in Brooklyn, Ohio, submitted his resignation Monday and apologized via a statement written by the district, the Cleveland Jewish News reported. Local Jewish groups have also reached out to district officials, who have indicated a willingness to work with them.
Ohio high school football coach resigns after players use 'Nazi' in play calls https://www.jta.org/2023/09/26/united-states/ohio-high-school-football-coach-resigns-after-players-use-nazi-in-play-calls
A high school football coach in suburban Cleveland has resigned after his team used the word "Nazi" in addition to racial slurs in its play calling during a game on Friday against a team in a heavily Jewish town.
Tim McFarland, the coach of Brooklyn High School in Brooklyn, Ohio, submitted his resignation Monday and apologized via a statement written by the district, the Cleveland Jewish News reported. Local Jewish groups have also reached out to district officials, who have indicated a willingness to work with them.
Brooklyn was playing the team from Beachwood, a suburb with the second-highest rate of Jewish residents in the country.
The offensive play calls were first flagged by Beachwood's head coach, Scott Fischer, at halftime, the school's athletic director told parents in an email after the game.
"During my discussion with Coach Fischer at halftime, we agreed that if these actions continued we would pull our team off the field," wrote the school's athletic director, Ryan Peters, as reported by the Cleveland Jewish News. Peters said that McFarland admitted to using the "Nazi" play and agreed to change the name of the play for the game's second half. The mother of a Beachwood cheerleader told the Cleveland Jewish News they couldn't hear the offensive language in the stands.
The language was also condemned by the mayor and city council of Beachwood.
It was not the first time in recent memory a high school football team employed antisemitic language in its play calling. In 2021 a Boston-area school was found to have used terms including "Auschwitz," "yarmulke" and "rabbi" in its own plays for at least a decade, part of what an investigation revealed was a long history of antisemitic and homophobic behavior. That school's football coach was also fired, and the state of Massachusetts soon passed new laws to require genocide education in high schools in response to that and other antisemitic school sports incidents in the state.
In recent months, Jewish high school sporting events in Miami and Los Angeles were home to alleged antisemitic taunts. Both were alleged to have come in response to antagonistic or even racist behavior by Jewish students, according to local reports. Another high school in the Sacramento area is investigating reports that four students made Nazi salutes on social media earlier this month.
US college apologizes for displaying photo of Hitler before football game
https://www.snapbard.com/us-college-apologizes-for-displaying-photo-of-hitler-before-football-game-129800.html
The image of the Nazi leader was part of a trivia quiz displayed on a scoreboard
Michigan State University (MSU) has apologized after a photo of Adolf Hitler appeared on a stadium scoreboard before a football game.
The image of the Nazi leader was displayed as part of a trivia quiz preceding the school's match against the University of Michigan at the Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. The photo, reportedly taken from a quiz on YouTube, was used to illustrate a question about Hitler's birthplace.
"MSU is aware that inappropriate content by a third-party source was displayed on the video board prior to the start of tonight's football game. We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values," MSU Associate Athletic Director Matt Larson said in a statement. He promised that the school would "implement stronger screening and approval procedures."
The school's athletic director, Alan Haller, later announced that a staffer had been suspended over the incident. "The image displayed prior to Saturday night's game is not representative of who we are and the culture we embody. Nevertheless, we must own our failures and accept responsibility," Haller said.
The case drew particular attention in light of the Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked a wave of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents on US college campuses.
NSU Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff also apologized for the mishap, saying the displayed image "made many of our community feel alienated and unsafe," MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff wrote in a letter to alumni on Sunday, as cited by CNN.
The creator of the The Quiz Channel on YouTube, Floris van Pallandt, told CNN that he did not authorize the MSU to use his work, but defended the content of the quiz. "The trivia question displayed at the stadium is a legitimate one, and it's imperative we don't shy away from history's more dark facets," he said. He added, however, that he would not have chosen that exact question for a live stadium audience.
Netanyahu apologizes to Israel's security services
The prime minister has retracted claims that he was not warned of the October 7 Hamas attack
https://www.rt.com/news/586112-netanyahu-apologys-israel-intelligence/
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized for a post blaming the country's security services for failing to predict the Hamas attack in which 1,200 people lost their lives. The Jewish state's PM was responding to widespread criticizm from the country's media as well as members of his own war cabinet.
On Saturday, after a late night press conference, Netanyahu's office wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that "under no circumstances and at no stage was Prime Minister Netanyahu warned of Hamas's war intentions."
The office added that "on the contrary, all the security officials, including the head of military intelligence and the head of the Shin Bet [security service], assessed that Hamas had been deterred and was looking for a settlement."
However, the post sparked a fierce backlash from Israeli officials and politicians. Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet and former defense minister, urged Netanyahu to "retract his statement... and stop dealing with the issue."
"When we are at war, leadership must show responsibility... and strengthen the forces in a way that they can... realize what we demand from them. Any other action or statement – harms the people's ability to stand and their strength," he added.
The rebuke was also echoed by opposition leader Yair Lapid, who accused the prime minister of "crossing a red line." While Israeli soldiers "are fighting bravely against Hamas and Hezbollah, [the prime minister] is trying to blame them, instead of supporting them," he said.
As a result, Netanyahu backtracked on his comments on Sunday, admitting that he was "wrong" and issuing a formal apology. "I give full backing to all the heads of the security services. I am sending strength to the [IDF] chief of staff and the commanders and soldiers of the IDF who are on the frontlines and fighting for our home," he wrote.
During the press conference on Saturday, Netanyahu stopped short of assigning blame for who was responsible for the Hamas attack, which came as a surprise for Israel, while admitting that it was "an awful debacle."
"After the war everyone will have to give answers, myself included," he said.
His comments came after US House Foreign Affairs Committee head Michael McCaul claimed earlier this month that Egypt, which borders Gaza, warned Israel of potential violence several days before the attack. Netanyahu, however, dismissed reports about the specific Egyptian warning as "totally fake news."
Susan Sarandon apologizes for 'anti-Semitic' speech
The award-winning actress said her choice of words at a protest event was "a terrible mistake"
https://www.rt.com/news/588449-sarandon-apologizes-for-anti-jewish-remarks/
Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon has apologized for the remarks she made during a speech at a pro-Palestine protest, which critics saw as anti-Semitic.
During a rally in New York City last month, Sarandon said: "There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country."
She also joined the crowd in chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," which many interpret as a call for the destruction of Israel.
The comments immediately drew a backlash and resulted in Sarandon being dropped by her talent agency.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, the Hollywood star wrote that the "phrasing was a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true."
"I deeply regret diminishing this realist and hurting people with this comment," she continued, adding that her intention was to speak against "bigotry of all kinds."
Sarandon is an ardent supporter of the Palestinian cause and has strongly advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza. Last month she came under fire for sharing social media posts by Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, a vocal critic of Israel.
Since the beginning of the Hamas-Israel war on October 7, several celebrities, including Melissa Barrera, who starred in the Scream franchise, and fashion model Bella Hadid, have been dropped from projects for their pro-Palestinian stance.
Quote from: yankeedoodle on December 04, 2023, 05:36:27 PM
Susan Sarandon apologizes for 'anti-Semitic' speech
The award-winning actress said her choice of words at a protest event was "a terrible mistake"
https://www.rt.com/news/588449-sarandon-apologizes-for-anti-jewish-remarks/
Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon has apologized for the remarks she made during a speech at a pro-Palestine protest, which critics saw as anti-Semitic.
I do not understand why these Pseudo-Celebrities don't Stick to their Guns.
SO WHAT if they tell the truth, and Hollywood Jews refuse to hire them ?
Why doesn't Sarandon start a production company with Kanye West - and other people that the Jews have screwed over ?
Quote from: abduLMaria on December 05, 2023, 10:09:36 AM
I do not understand why these Pseudo-Celebrities don't Stick to their Guns.
SO WHAT if they tell the truth, and Hollywood Jews refuse to hire them ?
Why doesn't Sarandon start a production company with Kanye West - and other people that the Jews have screwed over ?
Not many do. Only one that I can name is Roger Waters, and he has his own special story. He never knew his father, because he was killed fighting the Germans in WW II. Roger can stand up to any kike and kick the shit out of them and say FUCK YOU and make it stick. And, too, he's rich, and his fans don't care.
Susan Sarandon held out for week or two before caving.
Her world surrounds her with jews: she can't leave the house, go to the store, the airport, etc. without encountering jews, and jews that know her, and who she maybe knows.
Not to mention getting work. She's got money, but she may be not rich enough to sustain her expensive lifestyle for years without any substantial income. Maybe she doesn't want to retreat to Iowa or somewhere, or maybe she wouldn't even know how.
And, too, she may have a vulnerability they've exploited.
Even Marlon Brando and Mel Gibson caved. Marlon Brando was so rich he had his own island, so he could survive, but he wanted to work and make an income. Mel Gibson was rich enough to just walk away. He could afford to live well and isolate himself from the jews. Why didn't he?
Canadian newspaper apologizes for Zelensky cartoon
The caricature of a greedy Ukrainian leader pilfering American money was "hurtful," the Toronto Sun said
https://www.rt.com/news/589543-zelensky-cartoon-apology-canada/
The Toronto Sun has apologized for publishing a cartoon depicting Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stealing a wallet from US President Joe Biden's back pocket. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the cartoon "anti-Semitic."
Published on Wednesday, the cartoon showed Zelensky lifting the billfold from Biden's trousers as the pair walked arm in arm. Drawn by American artist Gary Varvel, the cartoon was printed a week after Zelensky traveled to Washington to plead with lawmakers to pass a bill containing more than $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine.
Biden has spent recent months attempting to convince the Republican Party to drop its opposition to the bill, with no success. If passed, it would bring the total amount of military and economic aid allocated to Kiev by the US to more than $170 billion since February 2022.
The cartoon was condemned by Ukrainian activists, with Canada-Ukraine Foundation Director Yaroslav Baron accusing the newspaper of "insult[ing] Ukrainian dignity," perpetuating "anti-Semitic stereotypes," and advancing Russian President Vladimir Putin's "propaganda efforts."
https://twitter.com/YaroslavB/status/1737665602171326955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1737665602171326955%7Ctwgr%5E4ebdf535448f5db9a6846eee3920c1de60c1bdd1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fnews%2F589543-zelensky-cartoon-apology-canada%2F
A US- and NATO-backed "foreign disinformation monitoring" platform complained about the cartoon, arguing that depictions of "the Ukrainian government as corrupt" are "false." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau then weighed in, claiming that the cartoon's depiction of a hook-nosed and greedy Zelensky promoted "the worst kind of anti-Semitism."
Three months ago, Trudeau and Zelensky took part in a standing ovation for a Ukrainian Nazi veteran at the Canadian parliament in Ottawa. Zelensky is Jewish.
Amid the pressure campaign, the Toronto Sun backed down. "The cartoon did not meet our editorial standards, we were wrong to run it and we apologize," Editor-in-Chief Adrienne Batra wrote in an op-ed on Thursday.
"It was hurtful to Canadians of Ukrainian origin, and to all Ukrainians, fighting an existential struggle against Russian aggression," Bartra continued. "It was hurtful to Canadians of Jewish origin, and to the Jewish people, currently under assault from a global wave of anti-Semitism. We failed them and we failed all of you, our readers."
Bartra also announced that the newspaper would no longer print the cartoonist's work.
While the apology was hailed by pro-Ukrainian activists, some independent pundits condemned the newspaper's about-turn. Journalist Glenn Greenwald called the apology "dumb and humiliating," describing the cartoon as a "completely banal and common political cartoon showing Zelensky picking the pockets of Biden – because he's, you know, demanding billions more for Ukraine's war."
Kanye West apologizes to Jews
The rapper now legally known as Ye has deleted all his Instagram content aside from an apology post in Hebrew
https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/589723-kanye-apologizes-jews-instagram/
Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, posted a formal apology to "the Jewish community" to his Instagram account on Tuesday. Written in Hebrew, the post has replaced all of Ye's previous content on the platform.
In the statement, Ye expressed remorse for "any 'unintended outburst' caused by my words or actions," which many interpreted as referring to the artist's frequent tirades about Jews and their alleged control of industries including entertainment, education, and medicine – rants that effectively ended his career last year as corporate partners raced to distance themselves from him.
"It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused," Ye wrote, adding that he was "committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future."
"Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity," he concluded.
The rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, made headlines when he wore what appeared to be a black KKK hood at a listening party for for his forthcoming album earlier this month. Released under the moniker ¥$, 'Vultures' is a collaboration with artist Ty Dolla Sign. A line from the title track references the anti-Semitism accusations dogging the rapper and also came under fire.
Ye was repeatedly locked out of Instagram and other social media platforms starting last year over comments perceived as anti-Semitic, including one in which he announced he was going "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE," which was interpreted as a threat despite presumably referencing the defensive US "defcon" military readiness scale.
While Ye declared in March that watching Jewish actor Jonah Hill's performance in the film '21 Jump Street' had "made [him] like Jewish people again," he was filmed earlier this month once again ranting about "Jewish ni**as," Zionists, and Rothschilds at a Las Vegas hotel following a listening event for his new album.
The rapper's apparent fascination with Hitler, which first came to public attention during his viral appearance on Alex Jones' 'Infowars' show last year, resurfaced during his diatribe, as he shouted, "Jesus Christ, Hitler, Ye – sponsor that!" in an apparent jab at his erstwhile corporate collaborators, including Balenciaga, Gap, and Louis Vuitton, whom he mentioned by name.
Ye claimed to have lost $2 billion in a single day as collaborators rushed to drop him after his comments about Jews. Despite initially bragging that he could "say antisemitic s*** and Adidas cannot drop me," the brand did so after "reviewing" the deal, acknowledging that it stood to lose $1.3 billion in profits for 2023.
Sky News apologises for comparing situation in Gaza to the Holocaust
Presenter Belle Donati likened the plight of Palestinians to that of 'Jewish people during the Holocaust'
https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/sky-news-apologises-for-comparing-situation-in-gaza-to-the-holocaust-bia6jzfk
Sky News has issued an apology after presenter Belle Donati compared the situation in Gaza to the Holocaust.
During a live interview with Israeli Knesset member Danny Danon after the ICJ's initial ruling on Friday afternoon, Donati pressed Danon on his previous statements about the voluntary immigration of Palestinians from Gaza, which she compared to "the sort of voluntary relocation of many Jewish people during the Holocaust."
In a televised apology several hours later, Sky News acknowledged "the complete inappropriateness of this comparison" and apologised "unreservedly" for any offense caused by the comment by Donati.
Donati, who has previously written for Al Jazeera, has been a news anchor for Sky News since 2021.
Jonathan Levy, Managing Director and Executive Editor of Sky News UK, said in an email to staff: "This afternoon, Belle Donati made an inappropriate, unnecessary and offensive on-air comparison to the Holocaust when interviewing Danny Danon, a former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations.
"Sky News has apologised on air for the comparison made during Belle's interview and will be apologising personally and directly to Mr.Danon for the comments.
"It does not need to be restated that this is a significant and sensitive story. I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that it is essential that our coverage is impartial, balanced, and fact based."
Danon responded to Donati's comment by calling the comparison "shameful" and "antisemitic", and later posted on Twitter: "This insolent interviewer from @SkyNews disgracefully drew comparisons between the situation in Gaza and the Holocaust. Shame on her."
Others also took to X to express shock and indignation at the offhandedly delivered comment by Donati. Official Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy also reacted to the comment on X, writing in response to a clip of the interview: "This is a million times worse than that shameful Kay Burley question. Impressed by @dannydanon's ability to remain relatively calm. Even I would have lost it."
Daniel Sugarman, Director of Public Affairs for the Board of Deputies, wrote on X: "This is the new normal,apparently. The industrialised mass murder of 6 million Jews can now be compared by a @SkyNews representative to the awful situation in Gaza, where Israel is trying to root out the terrorist organisation that murdered 1,200 of its citizens on October 7th."
In a statement, Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said: "Sky News' presenter made a crass, offensive and unacceptable comparison between Israel, Gaza and the Holocaust. It was a purposeful twisting of the history of the Holocaust and Sky News have rightly now apologised. I just hope the presenter in question understands why her comments were so hurtful and wrong."
This article is about an apology and, of course, the apology wasn't good enough, so the lady was fired.
Labour MP suspended after 'hollow' apology for genocide remarks on HMD
Edmonton MP Kate Osamor has had the whip withdrawn by her party after suggesting Gaza should be added to list of genocides
https://www.thejc.com/news/labour-mp-suspended-after-hollow-apology-for-genocide-remarks-on-hmd-sydmmb73
Labour's chief whip has suspended MP Kate Osamor from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending an investigation after she said that Gaza should be added to a list of "recent genocides" when taking part in remembrance for Holocaust Memorial Day.
Kate Osamor, the MP for Edmonton, sent local party members an email on Friday pointing out that it was HMD on Saturday.
Osamor said she thought there was an "international duty to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust."
She went on to list the "more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia" to be remembered on HMD, adding that there was one also happening "in Gaza."
Osamor tweeted an apology on Friday night saying: "I apologise for any offence caused by my reference to the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza."
A Board of Deputies statement condemned "the attempts by Kate Osamor to link the Holocaust to the current situation in Gaza. The industrialised mass murder of six million Jews is in no way comparable to Israel's efforts to uproot Hamas from Gaza.
"We believe Ms Osamor was perfectly aware of what she was saying and therefore view her apology as utterly hollow. We call for the Labour Party to immediately remove the whip."
The London Jewish Forum also condemned the MP's comments. It said Osamor had "insulted the Holocaust survivors who so bravely share their testimony.
"Kate Osamor's apology is too little too late, she should be suspended from the PLP whilst this incident is properly investigated."
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust described Osamor's statement as a "disgusting malicious distortion of the truth."
She said it was "a painful insult to survivors of the Holocaust and particularly distressing to see on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day."
A spokesman for the Jewish Labour Movement said: "This is wholly inappropriate. This week we have been commemorating the murder of six million Jews in the Holocaust — and those who perished in subsequent genocides, as listed by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
"Unilaterally co-opting the war in Gaza, despite the horrific suffering there, on to that list is wrong and offensive."
Quote from: yankeedoodle on January 31, 2024, 10:28:41 PM
The industrialised mass murder of six million Jews is in no way comparable to Israel's efforts to uproot Hamas from Gaza.
well they got that part right. Given that the former is a Jew Hoax.
Israeli minister apologizes for son's dementia comment about Biden
National Security chief Itamar Ben Gvir's son implied on social media that the US president was suffering from a brain disease
https://www.rt.com/news/591965-ben-gvir-apologizes-biden-dementia/
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who called for the resettlement of Gaza, has apologized after his son implied in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that US President Joe Biden was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Shuvael Ben Gvir had posted a photo of Biden alongside the text, "In these difficult times it is important to raise awareness of Alzheimer's, a degenerative brain disease that is the most common cause of cognitive decline and dementia," adding that this was "a serious disease that affects a person's functions and ability."
The elder Ben Gvir condemned his son's post on Tuesday as a "serious mistake with a tweet I deeply disapprove of."
"The United States of America is our great friend and President Biden is a friend of Israel," the national security adviser wrote. "Even if I have a disagreement with his conduct, there is no room, God forbid, for a disparaging style."
Following his father's public apology, the younger Ben Gvir tweeted another photo of Biden, accompanied by the text, "Mr President, sorry!" The original tweet was reportedly deleted.
Minister Ben Gvir, branded by the New Yorker as 'Israel's minister of chaos' has previously been critical of the US president over his less than wholesome support for West Jerusalem's military campaign in Gaza. The bombardment has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry, and has been condemned by many countries as genocide against the Palestinian people.
The politician has argued that Israel would be better off under former President Donald Trump, claiming that the Biden administration's policy of providing "humanitarian aid and fuel" has benefited Hamas.
"If Trump was in power, the US conduct would be completely different," Ben Gvir told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
He also reiterated his call – officially condemned by the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – for Gaza's remaining residents to "voluntarily emigrate," suggesting cash incentives to sweeten the deal so that Israeli settlers could return to the enclave.
Over 85% of Palestinians living in Gaza have been displaced by Israeli bombing since the war began on October 7. The Israeli retaliation strikes followed an incursion by Hamas, which left around 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 200 taken hostage.
Ben Gvir's comments flew in the face of public gratitude to the US from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had recently praised the Biden administration and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin "for their commitment to Israel's security."
His colleagues in Netanyahu's government, including war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, slammed the national security chief's comments for jeopardizing international support for "the current war effort," arguing his hardline stance made it difficult to present Israel's case for continuing the devastating conflict to its allies.
London theater apologizes after comedian allegedly berates Israeli audience member who did not applaud Palestinian flag
https://www.jta.org/2024/02/12/global/london-theater-apologizes-after-comedian-allegedly-berates-israeli-audience-member-who-did-not-applaud-palestinian-flag
A London theater has apologized after a performer allegedly singled out an Israeli audience member who refused to applaud a Palestinian flag during a comedy set on Saturday night.
Comedian Paul Currie also riled up his audience to shout "Free Palestine" and "Get out" as multiple Jewish audience members exited, according to an account provided to the British watchdog group Campaign Against Antisemitism.
The performance took place at the Soho Theatre, a central London location that was the site of the West End Synagogue from 1880 to 1996.
"We are sorry and saddened by an incident that took place at our venue at the end of a performance of Paul Currie: Shtoom on Saturday 10 February which has caused upset and hurt to members of [our] audience attending and others," the theater said in a statement. "We take this very seriously and are looking into the detail of what happened as thoroughly, as sensitively, and as quickly as we can. It is important to us that Soho Theatre is a welcoming and inclusive place for all."
"Shtoom" is British slang meaning silent. It comes from the Yiddish word for "dumb," or "silent," commonly used in the expression "to keep shtum" about something.
The incident took place toward the end of Currie's hour-long show, according to the account provided to the Campaign Against Antisemitism. He pulled out a Ukrainian flag and a Palestinian flag from his prop box and asked the audience to rise in what the group said was "a kind of standing ovation." When the audience sat back down, Currie noticed one young man toward the front had not stood up, and he asked him why he did not stand. The audience member, whom the witness later learned was Israeli, said, "I enjoyed your show until you brought out the Palestinian flag," to which Currie responded by shouting at him to leave the show.
"I'm from Northern Island, we know all about ceasefire, get the f— out of my show," Currie allegedly yelled.
The Israeli audience member and his partner got up to leave the room, as did the person who submitted the complaint and his wife and another couple they attended the show with.
"By the time we exited, what felt like the entire audience were up on their feet shouting, 'Free Palestine,' 'Get out!'" the person who submitted the description wrote.
The Israeli at the center of the incident spoke to the Daily Mail on Monday, identifying himself as Liahav Eitan. Eitan, who has lived in England for five years, said he left after being berated by Currie because he was afraid.
"We were mostly scared. We wanted to get out of the situation," he said. "It seemed like a bit of a mob mentality that could go sour any second."
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said in a statement that it was pursuing potential legal action in relation to the incident.
"What the Jewish audience-members have recounted is atrocious, and we are working with them and our lawyers to ensure that those who instigated and enabled it are held to account," the group said.
"These allegations are of deeply disturbing discriminatory abuse against Jews," the statement continued. "Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but hounding Jews out of theatres is reminiscent of humanity's darkest days, and must have no place in central London in 2024."
Tensions are high in London and beyond because of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, which has engendered widespread pro-Palestinian displays, some of which have targeted Israelis and Jews. In one notable incident last month that police are investigating as a hate crime, three Jews in London said they had been attacked by a large group because they were speaking Hebrew.
Currie's social media is full of pro-Palestinian content, and previous shows he has participated in have donated their proceeds to Irish Artists for Palestine, an organization fundraising for groups such as Red Crescent and the Palestinian Children Relief Fund.
On Saturday, he posted a video of himself at a pro-Palestinian march, though it is unclear when the march took place, and on Sunday, he posted a quotation from Mexican poet Cesar A. Cruz, saying, "Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable."
"If you were at my show last night," Currie wrote, "you'll know."
Ford Motor Company apologizes after X account posts 'Israel is a terrorist state'
The account posted two other pro-Palestinian messages that were quickly deleted.
https://www.jta.org/2024/12/31/united-states/ford-motor-company-apologizes-after-x-account-posts-israel-is-a-terrorist-state
For a period of time on Monday, anyone tuning into the X account of Ford Motor Company could see three pro-Palestinian tweets that had nothing to do with the car company's business.
"Free Palestine 🇵🇸," said the first message. Another followed a minute later: "Israel is a terrorist state." Moments later, a third: "ALL EYES ON GAZA."
The messages were soon deleted and Ford said in a statement that they had not been permitted.
"Our X account was briefly compromised and the previous three posts were not authorized or posted by Ford," the company said. "We are investigating the issue, and apologize for any confusion caused."
The incident comes nearly 15 months into the Israel-Hamas war, which has ignited fierce criticism of Israel's operations in Gaza. It carried particular resonance because of Ford's headquarters in Detroit, an area with a large Arab-American population where pro-Palestinian advocacy has been strong, and because of the company's history of antisemitism emanating from its founder, Henry Ford.
Ford's record of antisemitism included using a newspaper he owned to spread antisemitism, including the notorious forgery "Protocols of the Elders of Zion." (A Jewish production company is currently trying to turn a 2012 book about the Dearborn Independent into a feature-length film.)
Some who saw the posts as screenshots of them circulated on social media applauded them. Others denounced the posts, with some speculating on the cause. "Ford Motor Company must have been hacked by the Free Palestine movement," tweeted Rep. Ritchie Torres, a pro-Israel Democrat from New York. Many in his hundreds of comments said they suspected that a Ford employee had forgotten which account was active before tweeting.
BBC apologises to Israeli embassy after asking for anti-Netanyahu speaker
Corporation admits 'serious mistake' in request for speaker on news programme
OH. DEAR!!! Read all about it here:
https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/bbc-apologises-to-israeli-embassy-after-asking-for-anti-netanyahu-speaker-jvk4ksst