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Must Read
Unsettled: A Global Study of Settlements in Occupied Territories
Making huge waves in the world of Arab-Israeli Conflict scholarship, Eugene Kontorovich has published a paper providing the first ever comprehensive analysis of settlements and "occupied territories" as the terms are used post-WWII. This is a very long article, but one very worth reading. You might not be surprised that Kontorovich concludes that the world's treatment of Israel differs from every other country that might be considered an "occupying power."
At the U.N., Only Israel Is an ‘Occupying Power’
In this Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Penny Grunseid and Eugene Kontorovich succinctly comment on the unfair treatment and double standards applied toward Israel in the United Nations. The UN begins its annual session and, as always, Israel is a focal point of its agenda.
Israel
Israel: Hamas rejected deal for soldiers’ bodies, captive Israelis
Israel reports that Hamas turned down an offer of exchange, in which Israel would turn over 18 prisoners and 19 bodies in exchange for two mentally unstable Israelis who inadvertently crossed into Gaza and the bodies of 2 IDF soldiers who were killed in action during operation Protective Edge. Those who claim a disparity in the worth of Israeli lives compared to Palestinian lives should remember that Hamas sets the exchange rate. In 2011, Hamas demanded the release of 1,027 prisoners in exchange for a single IDF soldier- Gilad Shalit.
Hamas spends $100 million a year on military infrastructure
Recent studies indicate that record amounts of all of the foreign aid flowing into the Palestinian Territories (including from Israel) get diverted to military spending by Hamas. Hamas is thought to be spending upwards of $100 Million a year on military infrastructure, about $40 Million of which annually goes toward building terror tunnels.
Hundreds of Israeli intellectuals to world Jewry: ‘End occupation for Israel’s sake’
470 prominent Israelis write a letter to world Jewry urging them to challenge Israel to end the occupation for Israel's own sake.
Explore This Mysterious Mosaic—It May Portray Alexander the Great
A mosaic uncovered at the site of what was once a Roman-era synagogue in Israel may depict Alexander the Great. This article gives an interesting and quick history lesson!
BDS
Cal Berkeley’s Latest Effort to Erase Jewish History From Israel
In our last issue, we brought you a horrendous story of UCLA succumbing to BDS hatred. This week, we bring you an even more vile story from UC Berkeley, where a class offering focused brainstorming ways to destroy Israel.
The Pressure on American Academics to Conform to BDS read more: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.740723
As BDS and anti-Israel/anti-Jew hatred grows on US college campuses, Israeli academics are increasingly feeling abandoned by their US colleagues for fear of being protested.
Anti-Semitism
‘No future for Jews in Western Europe,’ says French prosecutor
France's special prosecutor for anti-Semitic crimes puts it plainly: "I’m not a prophet or a prince but there is no future for Jews in all of Western Europe."
Legal
Analysis: Is demolishing Palestinian terrorists' homes, but not Jewish ones discrimination?
Many decry Israel's demolition of the homes of Palestinian terrorists as collective punishment, and some even complain when the homes of Jewish terrorists are not similarly demolished. This article discusses a petition before Israel's High Court about whether the failure to demolish Jewish homes is discrimination. In this article, Eugene Kontorovich argues that that critics are focusing on the wrong issue. Demolition is for deterrence, not punishment, and no deterrence is needed for Jewish terrorism.
Tweets
Pictures Show Alleged Jew Killing Lessons At Summer Camp
Arsen Ostrovsky tweets images of what purports to be a Hamas summer camp, in which small kids are taught techniques for stabbing Israelis.
Upbeat
This man who survived Auschwitz will finally get a bar mitzvah, a century late, at age 113
The world's oldest man, Holocaust survivor Israel Kristal, will finally celebrate his Bar Mitzvah at the age of 113! Mazel Tov Israel!
Amid rising European anti-Semitism, Portugal sees Jewish renaissance
Once part of the great Iberian Inquisition, Portugal has become a welcoming refuge to Jews from all over Europe. Its Jewish community has seen unprecedented growth of late, as the rest of Europe fails to protect its Jews and stamp out anti-Semitism.
1936: The man who folded his arms
This is an incredible story of a single German soldier seen in a photo to be folding his arms instead of offering the Nazi salute among a sea of hundreds of soldiers. German soldier August Landmesser refused to sign on to the Jew hatred and even married a Jewish woman.