March 29, 2012 | 5:03 am

This week in power: France fallout, German mayor, Israeli models, Park Slope co-op

Posted by Danny Groner

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

France looks ahead
France is still reeling from last week’s shooting attack that took the lives of three children and a rabbi at a Jewish school in Toulouse, and now attention is going toward how the attack might impact the upcoming election. “It enabled Sarkozy to show his capacity to manage crises and put the themes of security and immigration back in the center of the political debate,” said one political operator. But there was already some concern over Sarkozy’s tilt to the right, reported the Jewish Journal. It’s too early to tell, though, said Joseph Strich in The Jerusalem Post. “Now the dice are recast and the cards reshuffled. Toulouse presents Sarkozy as presidential again, putting the other candidates in the shade. More than ever, his campaign slogan, “La France Forte” (Strong France) fits him like a glove.”

Germany’s Jewish mayor
In perhaps as symbolic a move as a political one, a major German city, Frankfurt, has elected a Jewish mayor, the first since WWII. Peter Feldmann of the Social Democratic Party got 57 percent of the vote. He insisted that he didn’t run as the Jewish candidate. “The fact that this issue did not come up in my campaign is a testament to the strength of our open and liberal city.” he said. Another Jew, Ludwig Landmann, held the position from 1924 to 1933. “Germany and myself would appreciate it if you didn’t bring up the Holocaust EVERY time Germany is uttered. Maybe like 1 out of every 2 times? Is that fair?” asked Hipster Jew.

Furor over outposts
Israel’s supreme court dismissed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s “compromise” to keep a West Bank settler outpost intact. “The problem is that to circumvent the court decision by legislation, it must apply to the West Bank. Israeli legislation does not apply to the West Bank! Israel has never annexed or applied Israeli law to the West Bank,” Michael Sfard told Tablet. The New York Times wondered in an editorial what this decision means for the peace process. “Palestinians are despairing that the number of settlements and outposts are expanding so fast that they could soon preclude any chance of a two-state solution. If that is the point, Israel’s own hopes for a peaceful and secure future are seriously at risk.”

Israel vs. skinny models
The dieting craze on the runways has caught some people’s eyes, and Israel is doing something about it. Under a new law, underweight models in advertising will be banned, and they must provide documentation of a BMI of at least 18.5 to gain admission to the industry. “This is a big step in the right direction for advertisements that are more ‘real’ and other countries should start listening to their citizens and following Israel’s lead in banning too-thin models and preventing digitally altered images from attempting to portray to young people that these unrealistic body types represent the world population,” said Dhyana Estephan on the Ad Nauseum blog. But some are skeptical. “Even though it’s great that Israel is taking a stand, one government’s regulations will not impact the global culture that is fashion,” said Jazebel writer Dodai Stewart.

Park Slope vote
Late Tuesday night, the Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn, New York, voted against a motion that would have boycotted against products made in Israel, according to reports. It took place at the group’s monthly meeting, one that got a great deal more attention than their typical gatherings. The controversy had been the topic of some derision in past weeks. “Hummus: beloved by hippies, ultimate-Frisbee players, broke college students. Believed by scientists to diminish aggressiveness, alleviate minor depression, and aid growth. Good with pita bread and baby carrots. What makes it stick in so many craws?” asked Matthew Shaer in New York magazine. And it was also the subject of a Daily Show piece on Tuesday night, leading up to the vote. James Poniewozik wrote at TIME: “Did the show take some cheap shots for laughs? Did it play up a vocal minority over us members who just want to buy our damn organic beets and lamb shanks? Did it reinforce a broad stereotype of NPR liberals re-enacting college politics as grown-ups? Yes, yes, and yes. Was it funny? Hell, yes!”

March 22, 2012 | 5:33 am

This week in power: France attack, Mittzkrieg, Sandra Fluke, Backstreet Boy

Posted by Danny Groner

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

France shooting
During a shootout Thursday, French police killed the suspect accused of being the gunman who reportedly filmed his attack of a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, that left three children and a rabbi dead. French Jews are scared that another attack might be on the horizon. “There can be no copycats of Toulouse here in this country. Attacks that specifically target and kill Jewish children are so abhorrent and unthinkable that they paralyze a community’s ability to function and thrive,” said Paul Goldenberg at JTA. It has left Europe and the entire world on high alert that another terrorist may strike elsewhere, said Heather Horn in The Atlantic. And with evidence that the man was Muslim, said Marc Tracy at Tablet, Israel may have to get involved. “I find it extraordinarily distasteful to alter my calculus for the whims of anti-Semitic murderers, but on the other hand, Israel was created in part to deny anti-Semitic murderers, and if the potential for anti-Semitic murder is allowed to factor in favor of a strike, I don’t see why it shouldn’t also be allowed to factor against one.”

Axelrod’s comments
Obama adviser David Axelrod caught flak for his choice of words this week after he called Mitt Romney’s ad campaign in Illinois as “the Mittzkrieg” on Twitter. The comment insinuated a comparison between Romney’s efforts to distance himself from Rick Santorum and the blitzkrieg, a military strategy used by the Nazis during WWII. “It’s just worth pointing out: a) two can play at that game; b) you know who else had a neatly combed moustache and a dangling forelock; and b) with a little trimming and a slight darkening of Axelrod’s care-grayed whiskers, the truth really comes out,” said Tim Cavanaugh at Reason. But not everyone thought it was such a big deal. “Referring to it is not referring to the Holocaust. This is a bit like taking offense to someone mentioning ‘the Desert Fox’—too soon!” joked Slate’s Dave Weigel.

Sandra Fluke’s Jewish boyfriend
Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown grad student who burst onto the political scene earlier this year over the birth control debate, has a Jewish boyfriend. And his ties have some conservatives wondering about whether the whole controversy was set up. “Those who participate in these smears cannot stand anyone from a group that isn’t white, Christian and male asserting him or herself, being successful, or standing up to oppression,” said Sarah Seltzer in The Jewish Daily Forward. “Oh my god! Not only are these rich, socialist, college-lovin’ Jewish Jews rich, socialist and college-lovin’, but they’re actually concerned with helping others? You are so busted, Ms. Fluke! Gotcha!” mused Kalli Joy Gray at Daily Kos.

Seatte cancels event
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict landed in Seattle this week as the city’s commission that represents gays canceled a City Hall visit for a visiting delegation of Israeli gay leaders, according to reports. The delegation is traveling to other West Coast cities this week, but only Seattle cut them out of the agenda. It came amid pressure from protesters who cite Israel’s poor treatment of Palestinians based on its positive record on gay rights, known as “pinkwashing.” “This is absolutely absurd from any perspective. Israel is one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world,” said Ben Shapiro at Breitbart.com. “They deserve as much contempt, opprobrium and rotten fruit as one might toss at those who congratulate themselves for boycotting Jews,” said one blogger. “No word from the religious fundamentalist Sunni radicals at Hamas or Islamic Jihad on whether they appreciated the show of solidarity from Seattle’s gays,” said another.

Backstreet Boy tour
Backstreet Boys singer Howie Dorough is headed to Israel soon and he’s inviting his fans to come along with him. He will perform at the Sea of Galilee, go clubbing with the group, and join them for some tours of famous sites during the 10-day trip. “What could be better than enjoying homemade hummus with Howie?” asked Amber Katz at MTV.com. But it might not be all that it’s cracked up to be, worried one blogger. “The last reason why I’d be hesitant to do this trip is that it seems very Christian-focused and I’m not Christian. I’m afraid I wouldn’t really be able to get nearly as much out of it.”

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March 15, 2012 | 5:06 am

This week in power: Obama, Romney, Florida legislature, Jew Pond

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Obama post-AIPAC
“I categorically reject the idea persistently and irrationally advanced by far too may in the Jewish community that President Obama is an ‘enemy of Israel,’ or ‘anti-Israel.’ I find that attitude to be despicable and unwarranted by facts on the ground,” said Rabbi Gerald Skolnick in The Jewish Week. Others aren’t so sure. “He has officially thrown Israel under the bus; for we all know, if Obama wins a second term, during which he will no longer need the money and votes of the American people, he will turn on Israel definitively without reproach,” said Lauri B. Regan at American Thinker. And the whole debate may be bad for American Jews, argued Gil Troy in The Jerusalem Post. “Asking whether Obama is pro-Israel or anti-Israel is immature and reductionist.” Maybe we’ll have to just wait for a Jewish president...

Romney support
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney may have had some setbacks at primaries this week, but he’s picking up steam when it comes to the Republican Jewish vote. “Top Jewish donors account for more than 10% of the $36 million raised by Romney’s super PAC,” reported the Jewish Daily Forward. But he may have to tread carefully, warned Jennifer Rubin in The Washington Post. “Certainly Romney’s strong support or Israel may strike a chord with these voters; But just as important for evangelical, pro-Israel voters is the mistreatment of their religious brethren in the Middle East,” she said. “I’m not suggesting Romney take up the cause of Middle East Christians just to get votes. But this is one where doing the right thing, smart foreign policy and good electoral strategy all coincide. And that doesn’t happen very often.” There’s also always the chance that if Romney gets the nomination, Jews might stay home form the polls.

Florida’s contriversial vote
Florida last month made a bold stand with a resolution that proclaims Israel’s “God-given right of self-governance and self-defense upon the entirety of its own lands” and says that the Jewish state is not “an occupier of the lands of others,” according to JTA. Some worry that this language makes it appear that the state is advocating a one-state solution. “These Florida resolutions are good examples of what it looks like to hug a friend so tightly that you unintentionally suffocate him,” said a JStreet blogger. Others worry about larger issues at hand. “Resolutions such as those in Florida will only succeed in setting off a firestorm of criticism, inviting charges of discrimination against Palestinians, and undermining the position of Israel’s government, which supports a two-state solution. The way to support Israel and to counter the one-state campaign is embrace the two-state solution and enthusiastically advocate for it in every forum,” said Rabbi Eric H. Yoffe in The Jerusalem Post.

Jew Pond renamed
The small New Hampshire town of Mont Vernon agreed Tuesday to change the name of Jew Pond to something less controversial. The new name hasn’t been reported yet. It was originally called Spring Pond when it was dug in the 1920s but it had adopted the new name shortly thereafter. “It’s too bad it’s gotten to be such an issue when it’s never even referred to or portrayed in a negative way. It’s more like, ‘It’s the Jew’s Pond. The new man in town,’” said one resident. Others made light of the issue. “Let’s just call this thing Freedom Fry Pond and move on, New Hampshire,” joked Emma Carmichael at Gawker.

‘People of the Facebook’
During a visit to California, Israeli President Shimon Peres wanted to show off his new social media page and joked that Jews are “People of the Facebook.” “You have to speak the language of the young people,” he said. “Within the first 24 hours of the launch, Peres received the ‘Like’ thumbs-up from some 30,000 people – some of whom, in all likelihood, think they could do a better job than the politicians as partners for peace,” said Greer Fay Cashman in The Jerusalem Post. Others were a bit more cynical about the enterprise. “So basically it’s just one big advertisement for Zuckerberg and Co.—but admittedly, Facebook has become less of a brand and more a way of life. One which the Jewish state apparently embraces, with absolute sincerity!” said Simone Wilson at LA Weekly.

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March 8, 2012 | 5:10 am

This week in power: Netanyahu meeting, AIPAC, Atheist billboard, Purim

Posted by Danny Groner

Billboard written in Hebrew and English sponsored by the American Atheists in the Brooklyn borough, NY, Mar. 7. Photo by REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

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

Obama-Netanyahu summit
The two world leaders sat down on Monday amid much anticipation. To no one’s surprise, the topic of Iran dominated headlines. “Mr. Obama is right that military action should only be the last resort, but Israel should not doubt this president’s mettle. Neither should Iran,” said a New York Times editorial. “Understandably, Netanyahu is jittery over the prospect of Iran getting a nuclear bomb. After all, he bears a great responsibility for safeguarding his country,” said DeWayne Wickham in USA Today. “But Netanyahu should neither doubt the public assurances Obama has given Israel, nor try to use the president’s political adversaries to pressure him into letting Israel dictate when the U.S. sends its servicemembers to war.”

Obama’s AIPAC speech
“Barack Obama’s speech before AIPAC was an important political speech for him, both in terms of defending his record before a Jewish audience as well as an attempt to clarify the administration’s position on Iran after weeks of confusion,” said Israel National News. So what good did it serve? “His speech today was aimed at giving Israelis good reason to trust him based on past supportive deeds - while promising very little,” said Shmuel Rosner in the Jewish Journal. “If Mr. Obama wants a pat on the back, he should make it clear that he will do everything in his power to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability, and that he will stand by Israel if it must act. He came one step closer to that stance on Sunday,” said Dan Senor in The Wall Street Journal. “Let’s hope this is the beginning of a policy change and not just election year rhetoric.”

New York Times ad
A combative ad in the New York Times ahead of the AIPAC conference had many people crying foul. “Because they did not call me, I have now become associated, in the public mind, with positions I do not believe in. That is neither effective advocacy, nor fair use of my name and words. The Emergency Committee for Israel may have had the right to use my name and words that I have spoken in the past, but it was not right for them to do so without my approval,” said Alan Dershowitz. Others called it was just an intimidation tactic to go after people who don’t support Netanyahu.

Billboard nixed
A billboard bought by an atheist group won’t get to go up in Brooklyn, New York, after all after the owner of the building inside of a Jewish neighborhood refused to put it up. “You know it’s a myth … and you have a choice,” it said in Arabic and Hebrew. “The in-your-face billboard seems a strange — and highly ineffective — way to make a point. Atheists esteem the idea of rational man. Using a billboard — like any other huckster selling a product — undermines their core argument,” said a Star-Ledger editorial. It’s time to change the way we treat each other, said Andrew Silow-Carroll in the New Jersey Jewish Times. “it’s always easy to find instances of religiously inspired malfeasance. What’s harder is creating the ideas, institutions, and communities that offer the ends and means of being fully human.”

Purim message
What should we be focused on this holiday? “The primary lesson of Purim for today’s Jewish leaders is that just as in the original Purim story the Jews had to ultimately defend themselves so too today the Jews cannot pin their national survival on vague promises of support as the Iranian nuclear clock continues to tick,” said Yedidya Atlas at the Algemeiner. “This Purim, as we learn about the dangers of tyranny, may we learn to convert our gratitude for living in modern democracy into action that helps to make others free,” said Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz in The Jewish Week. Forget your worries: Kick back and have some fun.

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March 1, 2012 | 5:07 am

This week in power: Iran plans, Mormons, Santorum’s appeal, Houston basketball

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Iran showdown
What will Obama and Netanyahu decide is the best course of action for Iran when the two world leaders sit down next week? The debate is heating up again amid news that Israeli officials might strike Iran without informing America “to decrease the likelihood that the U.S. would be held responsible for failing to stop Israel’s potential attack,” according to reports. Such an act would have consequences, no doubt. “Israeli leaders cannot afford not to be hawks; they have to prepare themselves and their public for the worst-case scenario, even if the chance of the threat actually materializing eventually turns out to be minuscule. They also need to trumpet their doomsday warnings to the world and raise the sense of urgency in the United States,” said Tova Norlen in The Jerusalem Post.

Mormon Baptism fallout
American Jews may not have to fear Mitt Romney’s religion, said Elliot Jager in an article reprinted in The Jerusalem Post. “In the course of the unfolding presidential campaign, Americans – and, from afar, Israelis – will learn something of the Mormon Romney’s politics, values, and understanding of the world.” Mormonism and Judaism have a great deal in common. But don’t go too far, some warn. “However, when zeal for proselytism leads Mormons to ignore the legitimacy, practices, and sensitivities of another one of God’s covenanted people, then it remains a corruption of the tenants of their own true faith,” said Rabbi Dan Dorsch at Haaretz.

Who has the Jewish vote?
“In this unpredictable race that has seen multiple twists, turns, and momentum shifts, one thing is clear: nobody is backing down just yet,” reported The Jerusalem Post. While it’s starting to look like Mitt Romney will roll to a GOP win, some Jews are rallying behind Rick Santorum. As he’s gained more attention and coverage, Santorum has been focusing more and more on religion and its role inside of politics. Time will tell whether this is a gamble that will pay off for him.

Congress and agunahs
Rep. Dave Camp is under fire for keeping adviser Aharon Friedman on staff while Friedman is refusing to grant his wife a religious divorce. They were divorced in civil court in 2010, but the saga wears on. “At this point, the reason for divorce is irrelevant. The marriage has been dead for awhile and the issues of divorce details should be worked out separately for the benefit of all parties. The get is a separate issue and shouldn’t be tied in to personal matters. The marriage is over. End it,” said one blogger. There are larger issues at play, too. “We should be talking about how we can change the law so a woman can walk into court with her held high and walk out with a divorce in her hand that she didn’t have to beg for, that she didn’t have to be granted. That would be real progress,” said another blogger.

Houston team
A Texas athletic association is being criticized for its decision to stand firm and not move the finale of its basketball tournament even faced with an Orthodox school advancing to the semifinal that could force it to forfeit its game this weekend. Despite the protests, the Beren Academy Stars are moving on. “To be told you’ve been bounced from the tournament strictly because of a scheduling conflict must be devastating. It’s a shame they couldn’t work something out,” said Steve DelVecchio at Larry Brown Sports. “I wanted to take a moment here to acknowledge this team and its great message; that there are things more important that winning a game, and that sometimes in life one must make hard decisions,” added one commenter.

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