Deborah Lipstadt, renowned Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies, helps but agonises over helping the Syrian refugees. In particular she “almost” agrees with Netanyahu’s decision not to accept any refugees. Lisa Goldman responds differently: ” I don’t think anyone would retroactively ask for nuance in judging those who once turned away desperate Jews during the Holocaust, consigning them to genocide, because they were not Christian and might not fit in.”

This week, 14-20th September 2015

The refugee crisis has been making headlines everywhere. Journalist Ramzy Baroud from Gaza looks especially at the refugees from Syria, particularly those from the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp reduced now from 200,000 to fewer than 20,000. (They came of course, originally, from homes in Northern Israel.) But, while countries like Lebanon had accepted 1.72 million refugees […]

In his usual iconoclastic fashion, Uri Avnery argues that from the 1950s Zionism “became a cynical slogan, to be used by anyone to push his or her agenda. Mainly it became an instrument of the Israeli leadership to subjugate world Jewry and mobilize it for their national, partisan or personal aims.” Instead, we must return to A. B. Yehoshua’s distinction between nationalism and Zionism, two different entities in constant conflict with each other. It is time, not for separation, but for recognition that, whatever their “natural bonds”, Israel’s future lies in peace with its citizens and neighbours and the future of Jews throughout the world within their own nations.

It is common for Israeli opponents of the occupation to be questioned by Shin Bet. As the internal security agency’s remit does not run abroad the work of identifying and ‘delegitimising’ foreign BDS activists, writes Asa WInstanley, falls to the military intelligence unit, Aman.

AS Israeli police fail to stop settlers entering Haram Al-Sharif and themselves enter the mosque in pursuit of Palestinian youth, Arab leaders urge them to step back and the UN to step in to prevent escalation of violence.

The IMF has warned Israel before over the amount of its military spending which contributes significantly to its deficit. In addition, Israel is importing more and exporting less- despite rising sales to China and India. And still provision of housing, education and welfare is costly and underfunded.

The 47 Christian (Catholic) schools in Israel are popular with Palestinian parents and children. The educational standards are high and Muslims and Christians share the same classes. The school strikes (see posting below) which began on September 1st are continuing.

Since the foundation of Israel the once large body of Christians – some descended from the origin of the religion – has been dwindling. PM Netanyahu has blamed this on Moslem prejudice. But Jewish supremacy is the mother-lode of Israel meaning the 47 Christian schools – valued by Moslems as well – receive less money and equipment than do Jewish schools. The schools have been ‘on strike’ since the start of the school year.

Insofar as Israel’s prime minister has had a strategy in the last few years it has been to convince the USA that Israel is under existential threat from a nuclear Iran and a knock-out blow to give him victory was essential. Instead diplomacy – which he despises – removed the threat, leaving him with nothing. Akiva Eldar.

To keep towns clear of garbage, there has to be a functioning municipal authority, paid workers, a fleet of garbage trucks and fuel. Gaza has scant supplies of all these, so the garbage piles up. Add to that the severe and erratic shortage of electric power and, as predicted, Gaza is on the edge of unlivability.

Despite almost continous mass protests by Palestinians in Jerusalem about the presence of settlers at Al Aqsa mosque, PM Netanyahu’s solution is not to prevent the settlers’ intrusion but to propose increased sentences for stone-throwers and allow police to use fire against the protesters. King Abdullah proposes outside intervention against Israel

An Israeli blogger claims that the Tamimi family from Nabi Saleh have an ‘open passion for Jewish blood’. The role of the young Tamimi boy, in this version, was to lure the soldier, by throwing stones at him, to pin him down thus exposing him, despite his anti-bite face-mask, to the vampires hunting their next meal. It’s a good fairy story to chill the blood of the credulous.

Defence minister Moshe Ya’alon, Shabak, the perpetrators and their mates know who destroyed the Dawabsheh family – for no reason other than they were Palestinian. Ya’alon says they cannot be arrested or this would reveal the identity of the infiltrators. Either the killers are well protected, or very skilled in forensic science – or Israel cannot afford for justice to be seen to be done.

This is a case of putting their money where their mouth isn’t. Honenu is one of many pro-settler, anti-Arab groups functioning in Israel. It is largely dependent on the tax-exempt funds given by Americans who are happy to believe that Honenu is a welfare / civil rights group rather than a racist pro-settlement group which protects and defends Israel’s right-wing nationalist terrorists. The spread and survival of many nationalist settlements has long depended on such deceptive donations.

There is a selection of photos here from Scotland and England of people coming out to declare their solidarity with, and welcome for, refugees. They intersperse an article from Ynet by Sever Plocker where he wonders how the IDF and Israelis would respond if Syrian refugees flowed over the Israeli border.

It is evident that intrusions by the US, UK, France and Israel have meant that many Arabs are not safe in what were once their own homes. It is also evident, though Ramzy Baroud gives this little weight, that ISIL and other paramilitary Islamist groups have exacerbated the unsafety.

This week, September 7-13th, 2015 ends with a beginning: the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah (lit. Head (of) The Year). Shana Tovah to all our signatories, regular readers of all faiths and none and the occasional visitor. Whether you are Jewish or not, religious or not, we hope we all share the […]

Antisemitism is always a real danger. But, writes Robert Cohen in his Rosh Hashanah column, a narrative of homelessness and eternal rejection has become our dominant paradigm, the distorting lens through which our worldview is skewed, sending our moral compass into spasm.

It is a principle of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign – which organised the Netanyahu protest (along with JfJfP) to tolerate no form of racism, especially antisemitism. In the pro-Israel demo it seemed that no insult about Palestinians or their supporters was too bigoted to earn a rebuke. Ben White comments.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is from September 13 (at sundown) to September 15
this year. Many Jewish myths accrete to this time – making a lot of noise, feast of the trumpets, creation of Adam and Eve… Universally in the North it is the time of harvest and new school and legal years. A time of new beginning, new hope, forgiveness.