October 27, 2011 | 6:40 am

This week in power: Israel issue, Turkey quake, Tunisia election, OWS anti-Semitism

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Israel: Wedge issue?
The ADL-AJC’s initiative called the National Pledge for Unity on Israel encouraging people to put Israel ahead of politics as we ramp up to election season came under fire from conservative groups, forcing the ADL to walk back and explain the pledge is aimed at organizations and politicians. “I sense the pledge is a warning shot: At some point, it says, politicization of Israel could cross the appropriate line,” said Marc Tracy at Tablet. But some say that it conveys the wrong message. “We should welcome not only pledges of support for Israel from office seekers but accountability on the issue from those in power,” said Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary. “The clear intent of the petition’s backers to shut down the latter means this doesn’t pass the political smell test.” These organizations just don’t like where the conversation is right now because it’s not politically in line with their interests, said Jeff Dunetz at Big Government. “Jewish Americans, indeed all Americans are not as stupid as these groups think, they will see through the ADL and AJC attempts at stifling debate and putting their partisan progressive politics in front of the safety of Israel.”

Aiding Turkey
After initially turning down Israel’s offer of assistance after an earthquake rocked Turkey last weekend, Turkey requested help with temporary housing structures from Israel. More relief will be sent in the coming days.While diplomatic ties between the two nations remain poor, Israeli officials said humanitarian aid comes first. “I’m not talking about a warming of relations. I’m talking about trying to identify where the common interests are,” Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said. It could be short-lived though, with another flotilla set to depart, warned Roee Ruttenberg at 972Mag.com: “Whatever diplomatic progress it may achieve, if any, will be tested should another confrontation-at-sea occur.”

Tunisia’s Jewish candidate
Jacob Lellouche called in a win despite failing to win a parliament seat during Tunisia’s elections this week. He achieved his goal of showing that non-Muslims can run in the country’s first democratic elections. What’s this mean for Tunisia’s Jews? “There isn’t an atmosphere between Jews and Muslims in Tunis,” one resident told Britain’s Independent. “We are brothers and big friends. We celebrate each other’s festivals, we hug. We hope that this will not change.”

OWS and Jews
Debate is hot over whether anti-Semitism is rampant at Occupy Wall Street in downtown New York. These accusattions “produced alarm on the Internet, Jewish smoke signals alerting the ethnically twitchy to the presence of enemies and the demand that Obama, already suspected of harboring furious anti-Israel sentiments, do something,” said The Washington Post’s Richard Cohen. “But there is nothing to be done — except to condemn anyone who uses anti-Semitism to advance a political agenda.” But some believe its more than just hype, including Jeff Dunetz at Big Government. “It is not just a few nuts within the Occupy Wall Street Movement who are bashing Israel and Jews; it is the leadership and founders, yet our President and the rest of the Democratic Party are practically tripping over their underwear in a rush to embrace these haters,” he said. No matter, more Jews seem to be signing up for the movement.

Rich Jews
How did Jews get so influential in politics and elsewhere? Thanks to their money, a Ynet News article reported. “More than 100 of the 400 billionaires on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest people in America are Jews. Six of the 20 leading venture capital funds in the US belong to Jews, according to Forbes,” it stated, among other stats and details. But it may not last for long. Tablet’s Marc Tracy summarized the message this: “Stateside, dissatisfaction with Israeli politics—some of which, of course, is the result of the American right-wing-ification of Israeli politics—as well as higher rates of intermarriage, the receding memory of the Holocaust, a down economy, and other factors are likely to lead to less money.”

October 20, 2011 | 6:26 am

This week in power: Shalit trade, Givat Hamatos, #OWS, Sarandon

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Shalit deal
With Gilad Shalit going home on Tuesday in exchange for 1,000-plus prisoners, debate was fierce about whether Israel should have made the deal. “The Jewish state’s repeated willingness to pay an exorbitant price for its citizens is a testament to its national and religious values, which stress the obligation to redeem captives,” said a Wall Street Journal editorial. But it could grow to regret the decision. “Sooner or later, Israel will learn the name of its next Gilad Shalit. Sooner or later, too, it will learn that the better course is to give its enemies reasons to think twice before taking hostages in the first place.” But it wasn’t without its defenders: “Bravo, as well, for Benjamin Netanyahu. He did what the people of Israel wanted. That is his job. He did not do the bidding of a raucous, vicious minority,” said Bradley Burston at Haaretz. “He took courage in a courageous people. That is why he is there. He did the right thing.”

Impact on Egypt
Israel’s relationship with Egypt remains uncertain and complicated in these post-Mubarak days. But with Egypt at the center of the Shalit deal, some wonder what has changed and what that could mean for the future. “Some people, in Egypt and in Israel, have made much of Cairo’s role, pointing to the post-revolution era in where the government overseen by a military council now has more trusted relations with Hamas,” reported the Financial Times. “As much as Egypt would like to take the credit for the prisoner exchange, however, officials in Cairo tell me the breakthrough came after Mahmoud Abbas.” But Shai Baitel at The Huffington Post sees benefits for Egypt. “While politically risky, considering Egypt’s continued desire to maintain good relations with the West, in particular with the United States, its longtime supporter, nothing seems impossibly anymore in a where Egypt is redefining itself and the Muslim Brotherhood is stronger than ever.” This deal could be a good sign of what’s to come.

Givat Hamatos
More Jews could be headed to east Jerusalem, “threatening to cut a link between Jerusalem and the West Bank and endanger already slim peace prospects,” after the plan cleared a definitive hurdle according to reports. The proposed Givat Hamatos development has not been met well by opponents. “Palestinian suffering continues without end. Palestinians suffer grievously under occupation, including in East Jerusalem. Israel wants it entirely Judaized as its capital even though legally it’s an international city under UN trusteeship,” said Stephen Lendman at OpEdNews. Ramzy Baroud at OnIslam agreed: “It is the height of injustice, not only from a Palestinian point of view, but also from standards set by international law.” And a Haaretz editorial asked Prime Minister Netanyahu to stop it. “Halt the Givat Hamatos plan and avoid taking steps that undermine the status of our Palestinian partner and Israel’s international status.”

Is #OWS good for the Jews?
While American protests that began in downtown New York are spreading to other cities, the spread of Judaism is happening simultaneously. The question then becomes whether this is a solution that we should get behind. “The Jewish solution is certainly not government imposed. It calls for activists to encourage “genuine willingness on the part of those who gain to ensure that the losers also benefit,” and to appeal to and inspire the spirit of charity as a personal obligation through effective and creative private sector programs,” said Dovid Efune at The Agemeiner. But Jane Eisner in The Jewish Daily Forward disagreed: “The still-inchoate pleas by protesters for a new kind of American economy are a direct affront not only to Republican policies, but to Democratic ones, too. Mix that with the audacious display of empowered Judaism, conducted without the authorization of Jewish officialdom, and you’ve just undermined the credibility of two powerful institutions with the speed of a Facebook post.”

Sarandon’s controversial comments
Susan Sarandon called the current Pope a Nazi over the weekend, raising the ire of both Jewish and Catholic groups. But Linda Shaw at Gather pointed out that “It’s a known fact that Pope Benedict XVI was a member of Hitler’s Youth when Nazi’s ruled Germany, so she was probably just referring to that and not to him being as bad as Hitler.” Jessica Wakeman at The Frisky said: “I’m a huuuge Susan Sarandon fan, but calling someone a “Nazi” is balls-out rude. It’ll be a fun week to be Susan Sarandon’s publicist, huh?” She could have been smarter about it, said Mark Rawden at Cinema Blend. “Even if the actress was trying to make a statement about her thoughts on the current Pope, there are definitely better words she could have chosen.”

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October 13, 2011 | 5:12 am

This week in power: Shalit, Netanyahu, Mosque burning, #OWS service

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Gilad Shalit’s release
Kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is coming home, according to reports on Tuesday. Israel and Hamas reportedly negotiated a deal that will release Shalit in exchange for at least 1,000 terrorists. Reception to the news was mixed. “Israel’s continuing willingness to enter into hostage deals inevitably creates an incentive for more hostage-taking in the future and generally undermines the credibility of its anti-terrorist deterrent by creating an image of Israeli ‘softness,’” said Max Boot at Commentary. Time’s Tony Karon broke down who wins from the deal, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who “will gain the kudos for having done a painful deal to bring home a young man whose captivity had been a source of enduring national anguish and pain.” It’s also a win for the Palestinians, though. Tod Robberson in the Dallas Morning News said: “The real lesson here is this: Whatever you’re working on, do it quietly. And for just a while, all sides should stop all the name-calling in public. Worse than being unproductive, it makes opposing sides harden their positions and makes a peace deal that much harder to achieve.”

What should Netanyahu do?
Nothing seemed to get agreed upon at the U.N. meetings, noted a Chicago Tribune editorial. And with Benjamin Netanyahu willing to deal, but Mahmoud Abbas not, “It’s time to test Abbas’ intentions. Netanyahu should authorize a construction freeze in the West Bank and disputed neighborhoods. Force Abbas to show his hand: Either he comes to the table and talks seriously … or his bluff is exposed.” But it may not be that simple, said A.B. Yehoshua in Haaretz. “Those who nibble at the territory of the Palestinians, as the State of Israel is doing now in the territories, are obliged to know that they are plundering and infringing the very essence of the inhabitants’ identity - and who better than we know, from Jewish history, how precious the national and religious identity was to the Jews and how much they were willing to sacrifice for its sake.” Ultimately, it’s up to the people to decide how to resolve this generations-long struggle, said Rev. Maj-Britt Johnson in the Durham News. “I don’t believe the situation is hopeless, but our faith in change ought not to rest with the politicians, it ought to rest with the people who have learned how to listen to each other, and work together.”

Israel’s mosque vandalism
Someone has been vandalizing Muslim cemeteries, mosques, and farmlands, according to reports. Israeli police arrested someone in one incident, but the violence and vandalism appears to be spreading in the country. Yet, when a synagogue gets hit with the same sort of mischief in retaliation, why doesn’t it get covered the same way? wondered Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary. “The fact Arab violence against Jewish targets is not considered worthy of much indignation is of great concern. Part of the problem is the bigotry of low expectations. Since Israelis and Jews are considered to be too civilized to engage in primitive acts of violence and vandalism against Muslims, these acts are treated as atrocities to be deplored.” But what about holding everyone to the same standard?

Jewish Nobel Prize winners
Five Jewish laureates were awarded the Nobel Prize last week. Among them was Daniel Shechtman, 70, a professor at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, who won in chemistry for his discovery of quasicrystals. “I would like to congratulate you, on behalf of the citizens of Israel, for your award, which expresses the intellect of our people,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Shechtman. “Every Israeli is happy today and every Jew in the world is proud.” Here are the stats on Jews winning the prestigious award. But beware the downside of the awards - the inevitable backlash, said Gideon Levy in Haaretz. “The list of Jewish Nobel laureates throughout the generations is immediately put on display, as though saying that they won because they were Jewish. Every prize that is added to the collection immediately reinforces the idea that it’s a matter of clear genetic superiority. That is the other side of racism - on the one hand, trampling the other; on the other, we praise and exalt the ‘chosen people’ above everyone else. Two sides of the same coin: unconscionable racism.”

Yom Kippur occupying Wall Street
Kol Nidre services met downtown last Friday night, and hundreds of demonstrators took part in the special Occupy Wall Street group. All readings and songs were echoed around. Afterward, many of them joined their fellow protesters across the street at Zuccotti Park. See pictures from the event here. “Ultimately, this service worked better as a message, as an event, than as a service—both for technical and conceptual reasons. Technically, the noise from across the street compounded with the lack of bullhorns made it hard to hear,” said Joe Winkler at The Huffington Post. “Conceptually, and here my bias shines through, politics often, though not necessarily, dilutes individual spirituality. It stokes the flames of action but quenches the inner voice of the desperate soul.” Jeanette Friedman said in The Jewish Daily Forward: “It is precisely here that I can, with a clear conscience, ask for forgiveness for selfishness, apathy and pride.” Tablet’s Marc Tracy added: “I felt like I was part of a community, in the way that the concept of the minyan is supposed to encourage.”

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October 6, 2011 | 6:21 am

This week in power: Israel, Obama, Libyan synagogue, Banning circumcision bans

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Israel’s future
The recent U.N. summit has people furiously debating the future of the state of Israel. “Abbas unwaveringly insists on the so-called right of return,which would demographically destroy Israel by swamping it with millions of Arabs, thereby turning the world’s only Jewish state into the world’s 23rd Arab state,” The Washington Post’s Charles Krauthammer wrote. And, along those lines, Gerald Caplan said in The Globe and Mail, “It is ludicrous to demand negotiations with the Netanyahu government, which will never ever agree to a viable Palestinian state.” So where will this all leave us?

Obama hanging on
“Are American Jews finally moving into the Republican column? Not likely,” said J.J. Goldberg in The Jewish Daily Forward. He should recover. Still, there’s room for improvement, said Rebecca Sive at The Huffington Post. “If I were in his war room, I’d say: Mr. President: It’s time to be a leading advocate for access to abortion, lest those Jewish women dismayed by your policies on the economy and Israel decide they might as well vote for your Republican opponent.”  And Gov. Rick Perry is doing everything he can to court the Jewish vote. “Perry recently signed a law overriding restrictions on the dimensions of mezuzas and allowing the ritual symbol to reach a truly Texas size of 25 inches. A quick entrepreneur already began marketing a huge ‘Rick Perry Mezuzah’ honoring the governor for taking on the issue,” reported the San Francisco Sentinel.

Libya’s fighting Jew
David Gerbi, who left Libya for Italy, returned home to try to clean up his local synagogue. He arrived wielding a sledgehammer, but was soon told to leave. “If they want to prove that it’s different from Gadhafi ... they need to do the opposite,” he told reporters. “It remains to be seen just how free a new Libya will be and if religious freedom for Jews will become reality. For now, Gerbi, in his 50s, may have to come to the realization that his project may revert back to a dream,” said Yeshiva World News.

Banning circumcision bans
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill on Sunday that prevents local governments from banning the circumcisions, months after a failed measure to get a ban onto the ballot. “The long-term value of the new legislation, if there will be any, lies in its ability to lessen the anxiety felt by people who support the right of parents to choose to circumcise their sons—freeing them to engage those with legitimate questions and expose those who are simply motivated by rage,” said Brad Hirschfield at The Washington Post.

“Without religion”
An Israeli court gave author Yoram Kaniuk permission to be classed as “without religion,” despite being technically Jewish. “Israel must free itself of the grasp of the priests and paper-pushers of religion. The Kaniuk precedent is an important step in the direction of this objective,” said a Haaretz editorial. we must avoid such a distinction because of the alienation and revulsion that those who have appointed themselves as representatives of Judaism engender in us, and because of the financial blackmail and the religious coercion they exert on us,” said Neri Livneh also in Haaretz.

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