From the Jewish Telegrapic Agency
Jewish groups call for civil discussion on race following Ferguson decision
(JTA) — Jewish groups called for civil and serious discussion about race, democracy and justice in the wake of the grand jury’s decision in fatal shooting of an unarmed African American teen in Ferguson, Mo.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs in a statement issued on Wednesday affirmed its support for peaceful demonstration and called for “locally led serious, civil and hard conversations on race, opportunity, and representative democracy in America today.”
“When we face great injustices in our society, they must be confronted. We must turn our attention now towards bettering our society, towards working for social justice in eradicating poverty and economic inequality, mending race relations, working towards a fair criminal justice system, increasing the public’s faith in our government institutions and eliminating the perceived disconnect between these institutions and the democratic process,” said JCPA President Rabbi Steve Gutow in a statement. “Peaceful demonstration, democratic engagement and the rule of law are bedrock values of America and must be respected. However, violence is never the answer, and it will not heal the problems we face. In fact, it will exacerbate and add to them.”
American Jewish World Service President Ruth Messinger in a statement called the fatal shooting of Michael Brown of Ferguson, Mo., a “glaring failing” of our society. This failing of our system is not a personal foible or one-time event but is rooted in the history of racism which — despite all the progress we have made as a society — still diminishes our justice system,” she said. “As Jewish advocates for human rights, we must stand for justice at home and around the world. We understand from our historical experience what it means to have our lives treated by government authorities as being less valuable than those of others.”
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From the Jewish Telegrapic Agency
Cruzing for Jewish support
It’s been a big Jewish week for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
The headliner was the annual dinner of the Zionist Organization of America, a can’t-miss night on the calendar, especially for those who unabashedly support Israeli settlements, believe Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are bent on destroying Israel, and think the Obama administration isn’t much better. The ZOA gig included an enthusiastic introduction from Alan Dershowitz (Cruz’s former professor at Harvard Law School). And there was a subsequent powwow with Elie Wiesel.
The Tea Party favorite and likely GOP presidential hopeful also held private meetings with various machers, including some with less pronounced views on Middle East issues.
Jewish votes — especially during Republican primary season and especially in New York — aren’t likely to be of much help to Cruz (or any GOP candidate for that matter). Jewish donors, however, can make a big difference — starting with casino magnate and mega-philanthropist Sheldon Adelson, widely reported to be the largest donor to Republican causes in 2012.
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From PressTV
Syrian soldiers gain more ground against terrorist
Units of the armed forces managed to push large numbers of the militants out of villages in the northwestern province of Aleppo on Wednesday.
The army sources also captured a strategic road linking to areas inside the city of Aleppo.
Meanwhile, in the northwestern city of Idlib, the army forces recaptured a military base.
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From PressTV
US may be helping ISIL terrorists in Iraq: Officials
“The airstrikes cannot defeat ISIL and liberate the cities. We hear that in some places the warplanes drop weapons for ISIL… What we know is that the victories achieved on the ground are done by the Iraqi army and volunteers,” Iraqi State of Law Coalition MP Hanan Fatlawi told the Press TV correspondent in Baghdad.
On October 22, the US admitted that one of the weapon airdrops intended for Kurds fighting in the Syrian town of Kobani was almost certainly intercepted by ISIL terrorists.
“The presence of the international advisers in such huge numbers is not necessary. We are in a war and this is not the time for training, it’s the time for fighting. I think this is an effort by the US to come back to Iraq,” Fatlawi added.
From the Jewish Telegrapic Agency
New legislation would crack down on terrorists in Israel
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Temporary legislation was introduced in the Knesset to crack down on terrorists and their supporters.
The eight-step plan was introduced Wednesday by the Likud party’s Knesset chairman Yariv Levin, at the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads the party.
Provisions of the bill include stripping the citizenship of Arab-Israelis caught being involved in terrorism, or revoking residency rights of Palestinian terrorists; deportation of terrorists following their prison terms; withholding a funeral from terrorists killed during the attack they perpetrated; withholding the bodies of dead terrorists for burial by their families; razing the terrorists’ home within 24 hours of their attack; arresting rock and firebomb throwers, and stripping them of their social welfare benefits; deporting to Gaza family members who publicly express support for their terrorist relative’s act, and closing printing businesses that print posters that support terror.
Levin told the Washington Post that the bill would apply to all, including Jewish Israelis. “But obviously, the main problem is with the Arabs,” he told the Post. “The families and the leadership support what they have done and talk about them as heroes, they name squares and streets after them, pay salaries to those who carry out attacks.”
From the Jewish Telegrapic Agency
Israel revokes residency permit of Jerusalem synagogue attacker’s wife
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Interior Ministry revoked the residency permit of the widow of one of the terrorists who attacked a Jerusalem synagogue last week.
Interior Minister Gilad Erdan announced Wednesday that Nadia Abu Jamal will be required to leave Israeli territory and will be stripped of any financial benefits she receives from the state.
“All those weighing whether to engage in terror, all those thinking about harming innocent citizens, all those involved in terror, need to take into account that there will likely be repercussions, not only personally, but for his family as well,” Erdan wrote in an announcement on his Facebook page.
Nadia Abu Jamal’s husband, Ghassan Abu Jamal, and his cousin Uday last week attacked worshippers at the Bnei Torah Kehillat Yaakov synagogue and rabbinical seminary in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem, killing four Jewish worshippers and a police officer. The two Arab assailants were killed by police responding at the scene.
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From the Jewish Telegrapic Agency
JTS chancellor comes out against Israel’s ‘nation-state’ bill
NEW YORK (JTA) — The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York has come out against Israel’s proposed nation-state bill, which would enshrine into law Israel’s status as Jewish state.
In a written statement Wednesday, Arnold Eisen, chancellor of Conservative Jewry’s flagship seminary, said that JTS was “alarmed” by the Knesset’s consideration of the bill.
“We hope that the State’s lawmakers will have the wisdom to affirm Israel’s character as a democratic Jewish State in a way that does not relegate Israeli Arabs and other minorities to second-class status,” Eisen said.
Those who back the controversial bill say it will help reinforce the Israel’s Jewish character. The bill’s critics, however, have called the it unnecessary and provocative and see it as threat to Israel’s democratic nature.
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From PressTV
Hamas warns Israel over Judaization law
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has warned Israel over a bill that seeks to Judaize the occupied Palestinian territories, describing the move as very dangerous.
On Sunday, the Israeli cabinet voted in favor of the so-called “Jewish state” law, the bill for which will be sent to Knesset (parliament) to be discussed by legislators for the first time on Wednesday.
Hamas spokesman in Gaza Mushir al-Masri said Palestinians will stand together and not let the bill take effect.
He added that Israel is after a complete takeover of the occupied territories, noting that Tel Aviv will be responsible for all the consequences of the measure.
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From the Jewish Daily Forward
Sarkozy Calls for ‘No’ Vote on ‘Palestine’ Motion
Says Ensuring Israel’s Security Is ‘Fight of My Life’
By JTA
“I will fight for the Palestinians to have their state. But unilateral recognition a few days after a deadly attack and when there is no peace process? No!” Sarkozy said Tuesday at a UMP party rally.
He was referring to the attack last week at a Jerusalem synagogue by two Palestinian cousins from eastern Jerusalem that left four Jewish worshippers and one policeman dead.
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