Peter Myers Digest: Deborah Lipstadt says WaPo Report was Antisemitic

(1) Deborah Lipstadt says WaPo Report that Jewish Donors pushed Protest Crackdown was Antisemitic
(2) Transcript: WaPo interview with Deborah Lipstadt
(3) Jewish professors reject Antisemitism smear
(4) Apple is matching staff donations to organisations linked to Israeli military and settlements
(5) University sacks Prof over ‘Gaza Genocide’ homework
(6) Jewish voters reject 2-State Solution
(7) Zionist Jews quit Australian Greens, claiming they were ‘forced out’ because Greens refused to adopt IHRA definition of Antisemitism
(8) Ben-Gvir, now Israel’s National Security Minister, praises Kahane & hilltop settlers
(9) Ben-Gvir wants to deport Palestinians, & says Police should shoot Protestors
(10) Haaretz Editorial calls Ben-Gvir a ‘Thug’; he wants to foments war on additional fronts
(11) Rights group documents cases of Incitement to Genocide

(1) Deborah Lipstadt says WaPo Report that Jewish Donors pushed Protest Crackdown was Antisemitic

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64486

Antisemitism Czar Scolds WashPost for ‘Fostering Antisemitism’ by Reporting on Jewish Donors Pushing Protest Crackdown

Chris Menahan

Jun. 11, 2024

US Antisemitism Czar Deborah Lipstadt used her bully pulpit on Tuesday to scold the Washington Post for publishing a factual story exposing how wealthy Jewish donors were part of a secret group chat which pushed NYC Mayor Eric Adams to crackdown on pro-Palestine protests.

The Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/16/business-leaders-chat-group-eric-adams-columbia-protesters/> published a bombshell story in May based off leaked chatlogs detailing how <https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64455> over a dozen Jewish billionaires working secretly in concert with the Israeli government were part of a private WhatsApp group chat which conspired to push New York City Mayor Eric Adams to crackdown on pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University.

???????? Over a dozen Jewish billionaires working secretly in concert with the Israeli govt were part of a private group chat which conspired to push NYC Mayor Eric Adams to crackdown on pro-Palestine protests at Columbia, according to the Washington Post. <https://t.co/9ArnOpvHzI> https://t.co/9ArnOpvHzI

— Chris Menahan ???? (@infolibnews) <https://twitter.com/infolibnews/status/1791688210155737147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> May 18, 2024

The Post’s report revealed how many of the most prominent Jewish billionaires and multimillionaires in America worked together in secret to advance Israeli interests on multiple fronts, suppress Americans’ free speech rights, reward politicians who do their bidding with donations and hide their connections with the Israeli government.

“The chat was initiated by a staffer for billionaire and real estate magnate Barry Sternlicht” and members of the group ranged from “Kind snack company founder Daniel Lubetzky, hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, billionaire Len Blavatnik and real estate investor Joseph Sitt” to “Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and Joshua Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital and brother of Jared Kushner, former president Donald Trump’s son-in-law,” the Post reported.

Lipstadt told the Post’s associate editor Jonathan Capehart that the notion that Jews control various aspects of our society is not just a “conspiracy theory” but a “conspiracy myth.”

“I don’t want to suggest that there’s any truth to this myth of Jewish control, of all sorts of power, power in all sorts of areas of the society,” Lipstadt said. “Now, remember there might be any Jews involved in a particular profession, in a particular area of culture or whatever — but that’s not the Jews.”

“Anybody who knows the Jewish community … know that ‘two Jews, three opinions,’ there is no ‘the control’ of any aspects of the society,” she continued.

“You know, people often say Jews control the universities because they’re such large donors. If that were the case, what we’ve seen on the university campus, both in this country and abroad — I just returned from two weeks in Scandinavia — wouldn’t be happening,” Lipstadt said.

WATCH: U.S. Antisemitism Czar Deborah Lipstadt scolds the Washington Post for helping foster “antisemitism” through factual report detailing how “rich, powerful Jews” pressured NYC Mayor Eric Adams to send in the NYPD to shut down pro-Palestine protests at Columbia. <https://t.co/6Vk0pyFf8I> pic.twitter.com/6Vk0pyFf8I

— Chris Menahan ???? (@infolibnews) <https://twitter.com/infolibnews/status/1800741484704272612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> June 12, 2024

Just minutes after suggesting Jews would shut down campus protests if they were in power, Lipstadt scolded the Post for helping “foster” “antisemitism” by reporting on leaked chat logs which showed powerful Jewish donors did organize to shut down pro-Palestine protests at Columbia.

“Not to knock my host, the Washington Post, or the media,” Lipstadt said, “but the media group, the media in general, and even the Washington Post, to a certain degree, in particular, has often fostered that view, fostered that — I don’t think consciously — I’m not suggesting that at all, ‘Let’s spread antisemitism,’ but when it talks about Jewish interests, when it talks about rich, powerful Jews forced the New York City police to bring down the encampment … I worry.”

Lipstadt said antisemitism is not just a “threat to democracy” but to “national security.”

“It’s not just a threat to democracy,” she said. “It’s a threat to national security and national stability. Bad actors, malign influencers, be they — influencers, be they other governments, be they NGOs, be they terrorist organizations, be they people with active internet, you know, bots, etcetera, use this issue of antisemitism as a way of stirring up the pot, as a way of creating hostility between groups, as a way of making democracies look like failed states.”

WATCH: U.S. Antisemitism Czar Deborah Lipstadt says “antisemitism” is not just a “threat to democracy” but to “national security.” <https://t.co/qqkP84qmBg> pic.twitter.com/qqkP84qmBg

— Chris Menahan ???? (@infolibnews) <https://twitter.com/infolibnews/status/1800742711852704132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> June 12, 2024

You can watch the full interview below:

(2) Transcript: WaPo interview with Deborah Lipstadt

https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2024/06/11/transcript-state-antisemitism-with-deborah-lipstadt/

Transcript: The State of Antisemitism with Deborah Lipstadt

By Washington Post Live
June 11, 2024 at 2:24 p.m. EDT

MR. CAPEHART: Good morning, and welcome to Washington Post Live, co-produced with the “Capehart” podcast. I am Jonathan Capehart, associate editor for The Washington Post.

The Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism at the State Department was created 20 years ago, and today the work of the office is more important than ever. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt is the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, and she joins me now.

Ambassador Lipstadt, welcome to Washington Post Live. Good to see you again. …

AMB. LIPSTADT: No, I think to be quite clear–and I think many, many Israelis, including Israeli government officials with whom I’ve spoken even before October 7th, but certainly since October 7th, acknowledge the criticism of the state of Israel, the policies of the state of Israel, is not antisemitism. If that were the case, the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have been in the streets on Saturday nights before the beginning of the war about judicial reform and since then in recent weeks about the conduct of the war would be antisemites, and that, of course, is ridiculous. Many of them come straight from the battlefield and then join the protest. So we’re not talking about criticism of the state of Israel. If someone criticizes American policy, they’re not necessarily–they’re anti-American. They might be, but that doesn’t make them anti-American.

What we look at is when those criticisms morph over into antisemitism or, even worse, are rooted in antisemitism. We’re against Israel because Israel is–and then comes a stream of antisemitic motifs, antisemitic tropes associated with Jews but now referenced in connection to Israel. But when we hear chants on the campuses and in other places, hearing them sometimes in the center of Washington, globalize the intifada, the intifada meant the death and the maiming of thousands of thousands of Israelis, of Jews, of people in Israel. When you globalize, you’re talking about attacking Jews worldwide, or when you torch a synagogue or you attack a Jew walking across a campus on Times Square or at the center of Berlin because they’re wearing a yarmulke, that’s antisemitism. So that’s where we see the connection.

MR. CAPEHART: Mm-hmm. You say–and this is–we showed it in the clip, in the intro to this, where you say antisemitism is rooted in and propped up by a conspiracy myth, not a conspiracy theory. What is that myth?

AMB. LIPSTADT: That myth is that the Jews, because of–they’re small in number, but because of their inordinate and diabolical, malicious, sneaky, conniving–I can use lots of other negative words that I hear in these charges all the time–because of that, they’re small in number, but they’re able to punch above their weight and control things that would normally be way out of the control of a particular group. Those are not new stereotypes. These are not new charges. These are rooted in antisemitic charges that are thousands of years old, which, like a virus, adapt themselves to a new situation.

MR. CAPEHART: I want you to repeat what you said in the intro when you talked about the conspiracy myth, and you intentionally used the word “myth” and not theory. …

AMB. LIPSTADT: Because theories can be proven. …

You know, people often say Jews control the universities because they’re such large donors. If that were the case, what we’ve seen on the university campus, both in this country and abroad–I just returned from two weeks in Scandinavia […] — wouldn’t be happening,” Lipstadt said. …

AMB. LIPSTADT: So one of the things that has so troubled me in recent months is the tensions that have come out about Jews, Jews being oppressors, Jews–you know, from the left, you hear that Jews are all white, and therefore, they’re oppressors, not from all the left. Of course not, but from the far extremist left, we hear this on campus and in other places. And from the right, we hear Jews are not white, and they’re trying to overthrow a white society. So it shows you the absurdity of prejudice in general and the absurdity of antisemitism. […]

AMB. LIPSTADT: And not to knock my host, The Washington Post, or the media, but the media group, the media in general and even The Washington Post, to a certain degree, in particular, has often fostered that view, fostered that–I don’t think consciously–I’m not suggesting that at all, “Let’s spread antisemitism,” but when it talks about Jewish interests, when it talks about rich, powerful Jews forced the New York City police to bring down the encampment or when on college campuses, on the stellar campuses of our country, graduation speeches are given about rich and powerful people who tried to stop me from coming here, when we see overt antisemitism in other parts of society, amongst some of our leading students, again, at our leading campuses, and not just in this country but abroad as well, I worry.

So the irony is today we see governments taking this seriously. When I travel the world–and since I’ve entered office, I’ve made, I think, 35 country visits to maybe 25 different countries. In most cases, governments recognize this, because the important thing is–and before we talked about antisemitism as a threat to democracy. It’s not–and, Jonathan, it’s not just a threat to democracy. It’s a threat to national security and national stability. Bad actors, malign influencers, be they–influencers, be they other governments, be they NGOs, be they terrorist organizations, be they people with active internet, you know, bots, et cetera, use this issue of antisemitism as a way of stirring up the pot, as a way of creating hostility between groups, as a way of making democracies look like failed states. […]
==

AOC Releases ‘Hostage-Style Video’ Denouncing Anti-Semitism in ‘Progressive Spaces’
<https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64488>

SPLC Lays Off a Quarter of Their Staff – Despite Having ‘Nearly a Billion Dollars in Reserves’
<https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64485>

Ben Shapiro and Pastor John MacArthur Agree Israel Must ‘Wipe Out Amalek’ in Gaza
<https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64483>

Rep. Thomas Massie Tells Tucker Carlson Every GOP Member of Congress Has an ‘AIPAC Babysitter’

(3) Jewish professors reject Antisemitism smear

https://en.majalla.com/node/318746/politics/universities-get-tough-students-after-students-get-tough-israel

Universities get tough on students after students get tough on Israel

A wave of student protests against Israel’s war on Gaza was followed by vicious and unnecessary police crackdowns in the name of ‘fighting antisemitism’. Al Majalla debunks this baseless smear.

Alfred J. Naddaff

LAST UPDATE ON 09 JUN 2024

Bruce Robbins, an English professor at Columbia University, says two of the best-known pro-Palestinian songs and slogans (‘Intifada’ and ‘From the River to the Sea’) are now being called antisemitic. This is despite there being nothing antisemitic about them, he said. “Your readers will know this better than anyone,” he told Al Majalla.

In mid-May, more than 1,000 Jewish professors signed an open letter denouncing the latest move to conflate antisemitism with criticism of Israel after pressure for Congress to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, for which most “working examples” relate to Israel.

“I do not think there is a wave of antisemitism at the Columbia encampment or in these movements,” said Robbins, a signatory. “Among other things, you can see that because there are so many Jews involved in the movement.”

(4) Apple is matching staff donations to organisations linked to Israeli military and settlements

https://www.newarab.com/news/anger-over-apple-scheme-encouraging-staff-donate-israel

Apple workers demand halt to scheme matching staff donations to organisations linked to Israeli military and settlements

In an open letter, Apple workers and former employees called on the tech giant to stop matching donations to organisations with ties to the Israeli military.

The New Arab Staff

12 June, 2024

Employees and shareholders at<https://www.newarab.com/news/apple-says-palestine-flag-jerusalem-bug-was-unintentional> Apple have published an open letter urging the tech giant to stop an alleged scheme matching employee donations to organisations that have ties to the <https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-gave-over-100-arms-export-licences-israel-gaza-war>Israeli army and illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The letter comes following a previous statement from Apple employees calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the company to investigate links to organisations linked to the Israeli army.

Over 140 people have signed the letter, including former employees and staff in customer relations, product design, software engineering, Apple solutions, finance, programme management, among other roles.

Like other large corporations, Apple employees can make donations to a number of non-profit organisations which their employer matches via the platform Benevity.

The letter states the staff stand in solidarity with those at <https://www.apples4ceasefire.com/> Apples4ceasefire who have requested the company remove two organisations they are matching donations to, believed to be funding illegal settlements.

“We are amplifying that message and asking that Apple must promptly investigate and cease matching donations to all organisations that further illegal settlements in occupied territories and support the IDF,” the letter states.

“Such support directly contravenes international law and our organisation’s purported commitment to human rights as well as matching cause eligibility.”

(5) University sacks Prof over ‘Gaza Genocide’ homework

https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/06/10/depaul-university-fires-professor-over-genocide-in-gaza-assignment/

University axes prof over ‘Gaza genocide’ homework

The school stated that some students “expressed significant concern” about politics in a science class on how microorganisms cause disease.

By <https://www.israelhayom.com/writer/erez-linn/>Erez Linn

Published on June 10, 2024, Last modified: June 11, 2024 13:50

A part-time biology professor at DePaul University in Chicago has been fired after giving students an optional assignment that sparked concerns over its political nature. The assignment, issued by Professor Anne d’Aquino last month, asked students to write about the impact of “genocide in Gaza on human health and biology.”

DePaul stated that an investigation revealed the assignment had a negative impact on the learning environment by introducing political content unrelated to the course curriculum. Some students reportedly expressed discomfort with the injection of political topics into a science class focused on how microorganisms cause disease.

DePaul University – a peaceful protestor shows a 10 and 7 on his fingers then motions to slit his throat, insinuating the 10/7 Israel massacre.

<https://t.co/Jz3OMPBfgz>pic.twitter.com/Jz3OMPBfgz

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) <https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites/status/1787260955765674196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>May 5, 2024

In a statement, the university said, “The class was provided a new instructor, and the faculty member has been released from their appointment as a part-time faculty member.” DePaul also mentioned that an email with the assignment appeared to support those “resisting the normalization of ethnic cleansing.”

D’Aquino, however, is appealing the decision, arguing that her termination infringed upon her academic freedom. At a student demonstration last week, she accused the administration of falsely labeling discussions about Palestine and Palestinian liberation as antisemitic.

Antiwar protesters rallied at DePaul University in Chicago, Thursday evening, May 16, 2024, after an encampment at the campus quad had been taken down (AP / Melissa Perez Winder)

The course in question, Health 194: Human Pathogens and Defense, covers microorganisms that cause significant diseases and explores the biological basis of infectious diseases and methods to combat them, according to DePaul’s course catalog.

D’Aquino defended the assignment’s relevance, stating, “For months, scientists and physicians have been warning about the spread of infectious disease in Gaza – due to starvation, malnutrition, overcrowding, destruction of critical water and sanitation infrastructure.”

DePaul confirmed to Fox News Digital that D’Aquino has initiated an appeal process outlined in the Faculty Handbook, which is currently underway.

The controversy comes amid ongoing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with an anti-Israel encampment present on DePaul’s campus around the same time as the assignment.

(6) Jewish voters reject 2-State Solution

https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/06/04/even-at-the-cost-of-saudi-normalization-64-of-israelis-oppose-palestinian-state/

Even at the cost of Saudi normalization: 64% of Israelis oppose Palestinian state

New survey by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs highlights a significant shift in Israeli public opinion following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7.

By ILH Staff

Published on June 4, 2024 Last modified:June 5, 2024 14:23

In a new survey conducted by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), 64% of the Israeli public oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of the normalization process with Saudi Arabia. The full report, unveiled Monday at the 13th Annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York, highlights a significant shift in Israeli public opinion following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7.

The survey, conducted in collaboration with Panels Politics, examined the attitudes of Jewish and Arab Israelis on the critical political issue of establishing a Palestinian state as part of the conditions for ending the war against Hamas since October 7. The survey, carried out through an online panel of respondents in late May, included 706 Jewish and Arab participants aged 18-65, representing a cross-section of Israel’s adult population.

Key findings:

Shift in opposition

The survey reveals that the massacre on October 7 led one-third of respondents, who previously believed that a Palestinian state could be established under certain conditions, to change their minds – and now completely oppose it. According to the findings, 59% of Israelis opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines even before October 7. After that event, the opposition rose to 68%. Among Jewish respondents, opposition grew from 69% to 79%, while there was no significant change among Arab respondents.

Political disparities

The opposition to a Palestinian state indicates significant political gaps: 84% of right-wing voters, 54% of centrist voters, and 24% of left-wing voters oppose the move. Interestingly, a similar percentage of left-wing voters support the establishment of a Palestinian state without conditions.

Normalization with Saudi Arabia

Some 64% oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state even in exchange for normalization with Saudi Arabia. Among Jewish respondents, the opposition rate is 74%, while 49% of Arab respondents support the idea.

Control by the Palestinian Authority

Some 68% of respondents oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Among Jewish respondents, the opposition rate is 78%, compared to 49% of Arab respondents in Israel.

Lack of trust in Palestinian leadership

Additionally, there is a widespread lack of trust in the Palestinian leadership, with 60% of survey participants not viewing any current Palestinian figure, such as Mahmoud Abbas or Marwan Barghouti, as suitable to lead peace with Israel. Thus, 76% of Jewish Israelis do not see a suitable Palestinian personality, while 31% of Arab respondents share this view.

Demographic insights

Among respondents aged 60 and above, support for a demilitarized Palestinian state recognized by Israel dropped from 44% to 32%. A similar decline was recorded among those with academic education (from 29% to 20%) and high-income earners (from 33% to 20%). Opposition was particularly high among young people (70% of those aged 18-29), those with low education (72%), and traditional, religious, and Orthodox respondents (74%, 88%, and 91%, respectively). Secular respondents showed an opposition rate of 54%.

Dr. Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, emphasized, “Public opinion polls now reflect the Israeli public’s understanding of the issue’s significance after October 7. Considering the Biden administration’s policies, it is crucial to convey this message both to Israeli public representatives and decision-makers in the White House.”

Originally published by the <https://jcpa.org/>Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

(7) Zionist Jews quit Australian Greens, claiming they were ‘forced out’ because Greens refused to adopt IHRA definition of Antisemitism

Similar political pressure in Britain over ‘antisemitism’ (meaning sympathy for Palestinians) led Labour MPs to dump Jeremy Corbyn – Peter Myers.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/wreaking-some-destruction-the-schism-in-the-greens-driving-out-jewish-members-20240607-p5jk02.html

https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/wreaking-some-destruction-the-schism-in-the-greens-driving-out-jewish-members-20240607-p5jk02.html

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/victoria/wreaking-some-destruction-the-schism-in-the-greens-driving-out-jewish-members-20240607-p5jk02.html

‘Wreaking some destruction’: The schism in the Greens driving out Jewish members

Activists rising to power in the Greens are intent on reshaping the party into a hard left force, with overt sympathies for the pro-Palestinian protest movement.

By Chip Le Grand

JUNE 8, 2024

Over the past decade, Daniel Coleman tried to address what he and other members of the Greens had identified as a growing problem: antisemitism within the party. He helped found the Jewish Greens Working Group in Victoria and along with the late David Zyngier, a local government councillor and respected party figure, worked to develop policies and educate party members about the ancient hatred.

In the days and weeks after Hamas’ atrocities in southern Israel, the muted response from the party’s elected officials convinced him the project had failed. The Greens had not adopted a policy on antisemitism proposed by the working group and, more distressingly, he says the party appeared to give little thought to the Jews murdered, raped and taken hostage by terrorists.

“It was brought home to me after October 7 that Jewish lives were just not a concern to the Australian Greens party,” Coleman says from his Melbourne home. “It really became untenable for me to continue as a member.

“I believe that had it been any community other than a Jewish community subject to that sort of attack, the Greens would have spoken out.”

In November last year, Zyngier died of cancer. Coleman mourned his friend. Then he cancelled his membership with the Greens, ending a 40-year association which began before he immigrated to this country from the United States.

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton rose this week in federal parliament, one after the other, to condemn the Greens for seeking to exploit for political ends social divisions created by the war in Gaza, there were party politics in play. But what Albanese and Dutton said went beyond electoral calculus. The raw anger in the PM’s voice sliced through the usual cant and theatrics of question time.

Greens leader Adam Bandt described the politicians’ attacks as outrageous, saying his party had drawn a clear line between peaceful protests and any actions which escalate into violence or destruction of property. He reiterated what has become his party’s three-point mantra. “The Greens condemn antisemitism. The Greens condemn Islamophobia. And the Greens condemn the invasion of Gaza.”

Coleman believes it is an empty slogan.

The Greens’ abhorrence of the catastrophic loss of life in Gaza, eight months into a conflict that continues to frustrate the diplomatic efforts of neighbouring Arab states and the Biden administration to broker a ceasefire, is genuine and heartfelt. So far, more than 36,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed in Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accused of using starvation as a war tactic.

Less than a month after October 7, Coleman was dismayed when Bandt posted promotional material for a “stand with Gaza” rally in Melbourne. In the accompanying image, Israel is wiped from the map and replaced by a “Free Palestine” taking in all of Gaza, Israel and the West Bank.

Coleman says this is contrary to Greens’ policy, which supports a two-state solution.

“They have done nothing to combat antisemitism or to acknowledge it within the party or to call out and oppose the terrorism of Hamas,” Coleman says.

“It is really all about winning elections. They are looking for votes and they want to shore up the far left as their base. If you like Hamas, your party of choice is going to be the Greens.”

Greens members are precluded from publicly discussing internal party matters. Bandt and former Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam did not respond to interview requests.

How did the Greens arrive at such a juncture? To understand the transformation going on inside the party, the best place to look is the Australian Greens Victoria.

The Victorian Greens is administratively controlled by a 15-person state council. A month ago, elections were held to decide half the positions. Shortly before nominations were opened, the constitution was changed to remove a requirement to be a party member for at least two years before serving on state council, and a further requirement to be a member for a year to vote in state council elections.

The change removed a perceived anomaly within the constitution. The result was the elevation of a group of predominantly young, inexperienced political activists into positions of responsibility within the party. …

The elected state councillors will take their seats on July 1. When they do, the party will see an exodus from the council of long-serving Greens members, each with decades of organisational and life experience. …

The influence of this shift in the Greens is evidenced by the party’s embrace of a pro-Palestinian protest movement that, in the eight months since October 7, has progressively adopted slogans, chants, dress and symbols favoured by Hamas and other militant Palestinian organisations. …

(8) Ben-Gvir, now Israel’s National Security Minister, praises Kahane & hilltop settlers

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/ben-gvir-praises-kahane-hilltop-settlers-in-maiden-knesset-speech-666392

Jerusalem Post

Ben-Gvir praises Kahane, hilltop settlers in maiden Knesset speech

The MK praised his Otzma allies banned from Knesset as “lovers of Israel,” lamented that Arab MKs Ayman Odeh and Ahmad Tibi were allowed to enter Israel’s parliament.

By JEREMY SHARON

APRIL 26, 2021 18:46

Updated: APRIL 26, 2021 18:47

In his maiden speech to the Knesset, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir of the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionist Party gave praise to his ideological mentor Rabbi Meir Kahane, whose Kach Party was banned from the Knesset for racism, and praised “hilltop” settlers for their dedication.

During his speech, Ben-Gvir denounced a recent High Court of Justice ruling recognizing Reform conversions performed in Israel for the purposes of citizenship; said he would work towards passing a High Court override law; “send infiltrators home” in reference to African asylum seekers; and work for the settlement movement.

Labor MK and Reform Rabbi Gilad Kariv, in response, denounced Ben-Gvir as a racist and said it was “shameful” that he is a legislator in the Israeli parliament.

Ben-Gvir started out by detailing his professional and ideological career, noting that he joined Kahane’s Kach movement and who he praised for “combatting antisemitism” and “his devotion to Soviet Jewry.”

The Kach Party that Kahane led before he was assassinated in 1990 also advocated for racial segregation in Israel, and was banned from running for the Knesset in 1988 for incitement to racial hatred.

Ben-Gvir praised his colleagues in the far-right, Kahanist Otzma Yehudit Party, a constituent of the Religious Zionist Party, namely Michael Ben Ari, Baruch Marzel and Bentzi Gopstein, all of whom have been banned by the High Court from running for Knesset due to incitement to racial hatred.

The MK said his fellow Otzma members were “Zionists” and “lovers of Israel,” while lamenting that Arab MKs Ayman Odeh and Ahmad Tibi are allowed to enter the Knesset e

(9) Ben-Gvir wants to deport Palestinians, & says Police should shoot Protestors

https://forward.com/opinion/523398/far-right-extremism-israel-itamar-ben-gvir/

Far-right extremism is the real winner of Israel’s elections

The rise of Itamar Ben-Gvir spells the end of Israel as a light unto the nations

Contributing Columnist <https://forward.com/authors/dany-bahar/> Dany Bahar

November 2, 2022

[…] Ben-Gvir, head of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, is a <https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/ben-gvir-praises-kahane-hilltop-settlers-in-maiden-knesset-speech-666392> declared follower and admirer of the convicted terrorist Meir Kahane. He is also actively upholding Kahane’s violently racist legacy: Ben-Gvir has been <https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3417226,00.html> convicted of supporting Jewish terrorist organizations, and publicly <https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2016-01-04/ty-article/.premium/jewish-terrorisms-star-lawyer/0000017f-eda1-da6f-a77f-fdaff1f00000> threatened then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on national television a few weeks before his assassination in 1995. He has praised (and dressed for Purim as) murderers like Baruch Goldstein, the perpetuator of the 1994 Hebron massacre of 29 Muslim Palestinian men praying in a mosque.

Many of Ben-Gvir’s policy goals are objectively horrific. He wants to allow the use of live fire against Palestinian rioters, recently demonstrating his point by <https://forward.com/fast-forward/521376/tamar-ben-gvir-gun-stone-throwing-in-jerusalem/> waving a gun around when Israeli police didn’t act as forcefully against protestors as he thought they should. He also wants to give Israeli soldiers (and prime ministers) immunity from prosecution.

He also supports encouraging the emigration of Palestinian citizens of Israel, eliminating the ability of Israel’s Supreme Court to strike down legislation, and allowing for political parties to have more power when appointing judges.

As such, the big loser in this election is the Israel that its founders envisioned. Ben-Gvir threatens its most basic foundations. …

The most fundamental rights of the Arab minority in the country will be constantly under attack. There will be serious attempts to weaken the Supreme Court and remove any checks on the Knesset’s power. The occupation will become even more institutionalized, and the rotten apples in the defense establishment will go unpunished. With the government’s blessing, the occupation will become even more brutal. …

The rise of Ben-Gvir spells doom for Israel as it was envisioned. It is the end of Israel as a light unto the nations.

To contact the author, email editorial@forward.com.

(10) Haaretz Editorial calls Ben-Gvir a ‘Thug’; he wants to foments war on additional fronts

https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/editorial/2024-06-05/ty-article-opinion/the-last-thing-israel-needs-is-ben-gvirs-perilous-parade-of-jewish-thuggery/0000018f-e4f4-d11f-a5cf-e7ff5c7b0000

Editorial |

The Last Thing Israel Needs Is Ben-Gvir’s Perilous Parade of Jewish Thuggery

<https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da25-d42c-afff-dff70a9f0000> Haaretz Editorial
Jun 5, 2024 1:10 am ID

Haaretz Editorial

Jun 5, 2024 1:10 am IDT

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is bound and determined to escalate security tensions in the Middle East and is using every tool in his arsenal to foment war on additional fronts. As if the existing fronts and the existing military and diplomatic challenges Israel faces weren’t enough, Ben-Gvir insisted – now of all times – on holding Jerusalem’s annual Flag March along its usual combustible route, through the Old City’s Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter. He himself is expected to participate, along with his activists, to ensure that provocations happen.

This is just what we need right now – a festival of ugly Jewish thuggery in which, year after year, hundreds of riled up young Jews, most from the religious Zionist movement, seek to create provocations by belting out racist songs and slogans in the heart of the Old City, including hits like “Shoafat is going up in flames,” “A Jew is a soul, an Arab is a son of a bitch,” “Death to Arabs,” “Mohammed is dead” and “May their village burn.”

That our pyromaniac minister wants to foment provocations isn’t a matter of interpretation. In an interview with Army Radio on Tuesday in advance of Wednesday’s march, he said explicitly that this is his goal. “We’ll march through Damascus Gate and we’ll ascend the Temple Mount in spite of them. We have to hurt them in the place most important to them, and we have to come and say that the Temple Mount is ours and Jerusalem is ours.”

Ben-Gvir, the minister in charge of the police, exerted pressure, and the force approved the route and decided to station 3,000 officers along it. Police are urging the public to behave responsibly and obey their safety instructions, even as an elected official is behaving irresponsibly by trying to foment a religious war on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif at the height of an ongoing war.

Yet the real problem isn’t Ben-Gvir, but rather the person who legitimized Kahanism and handed the most sensitive government ministry over to such a dangerous incompetent – namely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That same Netanyahu then decided to leave Ben-Gvir in this sensitive post, giving him responsibility and power over Israel’s internal security, even after war broke out.

Nothing Netanyahu can do will ever cleanse him of responsibility and blame for the series of disasters he has brought down on Israel through his flawed policies and poisonous leadership. In this case, too, he could have ordered that the route of the march be changed. But as usual, he chose evil over good. Ben-Gvir is a dangerous man who should never have been entrusted with any ministerial powers, much less with control over the police.

The right thing to do would be to order that the march’s route be changed. We also have to hope that Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, who spoke out against the irresponsibility of the minister to whom he reports, will order the police not to allow Jewish thugs and pyromaniacs to run riot and harm residents of the city.

The above article is Haaretz’s lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.

(11) Rights group documents cases of Incitement to Genocide

https://www.timesofisrael.com/rights-group-demands-probes-of-potential-genocide-incitement-in-light-of-icj-orders/

Rights group demands probes of potential genocide incitement in light of ICJ orders

The Adalah legal center alleges that law enforcement agencies have systematically ignored genocidal incitement against Gazans, including by ministers and MKs, since October 7

By JEREMY SHARON

10 April 2024, 9:26 pm

<https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2024/01/F240101YS54.jpg>
Head of the Otzma Yehudit party, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on January 1, 2024 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In a letter to senior law enforcement officials, including the attorney general and state attorney, the Adalah legal aid and advocacy organization has demanded that they open investigations into senior politicians and other public figures for incitement to genocide amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

In its letter, Adalah noted that one of the explicit orders issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to Israel in January was to investigate — and where necessary prosecute — anyone who has engaged in such rhetoric, and asked for information as to how many investigations for incitement to genocide have been opened since the outbreak of war.

The organization pointed to problematic comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as ministers, MKs and others, and pointed out that the attorney general had stated back in January, just ahead of the ICJ hearing, that some cases were already being examined.

In light of that, Adalah also demanded information regarding the number of genocide incitement investigations that had been opened so far.

Demands and requests such as those made by Adalah can often be used to show the High Court of Justice that a petitioning organization has made efforts to obtain its objectives before filing an appeal to the court on the same matter. An Adalah spokesperson said, however, that it was too early to say if the organization might eventually file a petition, and it depended on the response it receives from the law enforcement agencies.

The Attorney General’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office have remained extremely tight-lipped regarding what investigations have been opened, if any, into allegations of incitement to genocide.

<https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2024/03/AP24077404084743-e1710676291431.jpg> Smoke and explosions inside the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

They did not make public the contents of the report they were ordered to file to the ICJ detailing Israel’s compliance with the January provisional measures, and those offices also refused a request by The Times of Israel in February for information on how many investigations had been opened.

Adalah is a human rights organization which works through legal avenues to protect the civil rights of Israel’s Arab citizens, and also promotes the rights of Palestinians under Israeli control.

As a signatory to the 1948 Genocide Convention, which includes prohibitions on incitement to genocide, Israel is legally required to prosecute such speech under the laws it adopted after ratifying the convention.

Adalah’s letter was sent to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, State Attorney Amit Eisman, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai.

Noting that both the Genocide Convention and domestic Israeli law make incitement to genocide a punishable offense, Adalah stated that “there is therefore an obligation to investigate expressions that raise suspicion of committing this offense.”

Adalah’s letter cited 50 examples of comments it said amounted to genocidal incitement since the October 7 atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and the outbreak of war with the terror group in Gaza.

The first example cited were comments reported by Ynet from March 7 this year of Rabbi Eliyahu Mali, head of a yeshiva in Jaffa, who said: “The terrorists of today are the children from the last [military] operation who you left alive. The women are basically the ones who are creating the terrorists… it’s either you or them.”

Mali also said that the basic Torah law in a religiously mandated war was: “No soul shall live.”

Adalah’s letter also cited problematic comments by Netanyahu, including his remark that Israel was fighting “against these barbarians” in “a battle of civilization against barbarism,” although from context it appears the prime minister was referring to Hamas terrorists, not all Palestinians.

<https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2024/01/20240112-192-2.jpg>
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) holds public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa in the case South Africa v. Israel on 11 and 12 January 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. (Courtesy International Court of Justice)

Other comments cited included those by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir who said: “When we say that Hamas should be destroyed, it also means those who celebrate, those who support, and those who hand out candy — they’re all terrorists, and they should also be destroyed.”

Ben Gvir’s party member, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, was also cited, after saying in November: “We would not have given humanitarian assistance to the Nazis. There is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza,” and then mused about considering the use of a nuclear bomb in Gaza.

The letter also cited a post by Likud MK Tally Gotliv on X on October 9 saying: “Jericho missile! Jericho missile. Strategic deterrent. Before considering the entry of [our] forces. Doomsday weapon!”

The Jericho missile is a long-range ballistic missile in the IDF’s arsenal which foreign reports state can be armed with atomic bombs.

Adalah Legal Director Dr. Suhad Bishara accused law enforcement agencies of ignoring “as a matter of policy the direct and explicit calls of high-ranking figures to kill uninvolved Palestinians in Gaza.

“Only when it was made clear that this conduct was likely to be part of the hearing in the international suit against Israel stand in The Hague, did the attorney general and the state attorney hurry to declare that such allegations are under investigation,” said Bishara.

“However, since then, we have not heard of even a single investigation, let alone a single indictment, for statements that specifically called for the mass extermination of Gaza’s citizens. It is difficult to separate the systematic disregard towards the statements of government ministers who are responsible for the attack on Gaza, and the enormous scale of the killing of uninvolved civilians, including many thousands of children and women.”