News

WIZO releases disturbing domestic violence stats

BY LEAH WAXLER

Domestic violence in Israel rose by 315 per cent in 2020 according to a WIZO study ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th.

WIZO collected data from government ministries, State Comptroller’s office, Israel Police and Israel Prison Service.

Twenty-six women were murdered in Israel last year compared to 17 in 2019. Of the women murdered, 13 were killed by partners, compared to five in 2019. Four of the women killed had filed a complaint with police, 31% of suspects were known to police.

Calls to the domestic violence hotline increased from 2,286 calls two years ago to 5,866 in 2020, a 157% increase. The number related to spousal violence and rose alarmingly from 688 to 2,853, a 315% hike, in the same period.

Rivka Neumann, WIZO’s Division for the Advancement of Women, said the increase in domestic violence affected all sectors of Israeli society and was linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She reportedly said. “During lockdowns women and children found themselves stuck inside homes with an abusive person. There was no way for them to go outside.”

Israel Police registered 20,140 violence offences and threats between couples in 2020, an 11.6% rise on 2019. Domestic violence also rose over the same period for male victims by 43%. Neumann hopes statistics will improve post-pandemic though family issues will continue, particularly individuals affected by PTSD. And she has called on the Israeli government to set up long-term programmes as more families will have entered the cycle of violence.

World WIZO chairperson Anita Friedman appealed to the government to combat a “real plague.”

“If a national state of emergency is not declared, and if government ministers’ schedules are not put on hold in a national effort to stop the bloodshed and suffering that are being passed down from generation to generation, then we have failed as a society,” she reportedly said. Dame Margaret Hodge is co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Jews.

The veteran Labour MP for Barking was unanimously elected and succeeds Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, who stepped down due to his promotion to the Shadow Cabinet.

The Board of Deputies, which provides the secretariat to the APPG, approached Dame Margaret about the post. Her cochair will continue to be Conservative MP, Christian Wakeford.

During the EGM, Parliamentarians heard from Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl, Michael Wegier and Amanda Bowman.

Dame Margaret said issues of key importance to British Jews must be addressed.

Ms van de Zyl noted Dame Margaret was not just a part of the Jewish community but admired for defending the community.

The Board provided updates on shechita, coroners and the community’s response to Covid-19.

CAA concern over Holocaust survey

BY DAVID SAFFER

Over half Britons polled in a survey are unaware six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany poll found that under a quarter of 2,000 UK adults asked thought two million Jews or fewer perished in the Nazi genocide.

Although 89% of respondents were aware of the Holocaust and 75% knew it involved the genocide of the Jews the same figure did not know about the Kindertransport.

Other figures showed that 67% wrongly believed the British Government allowed Jewish immigration to the UK, just over 50% believed fewer people care about the Holocaust than in the past whilst most felt another Holocaust could happen.

Around 90% believe it is important to continue to teach about the Holocaust.

Campaign Against Antisemitism are deeply concerned about the figures.

“This is frighteningly fertile ground for the cultivation of Holocaust denial,” a spokesman said. “Clearly, there is a great deal more to do in the field of Holocaust education. That a majority of respondents believed that another Holocaust could happen today underscores the urgency of the fight against antisemitism, both through raising awareness and, crucially, zero-tolerance enforcement of the law.”

A survey by the organisation in 2020 found that 32% of 18-39-year-olds in Britain were unable to name a concentration camp during World War Two.

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18 NOVEMBER 2021 Oxford University in Mosley donation outrage

BY ADAM MOSES

Jewish charities have called on the University of Oxford and St Peter’s College, Oxford not to “honour or use” a £6 million donation from a Trust set up by Max Mosley for his son.

Mosley’s fortune originated from his father, Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of notorious antisemitic British Union of Fascists. Mosley, who died earlier this year, was involved with his father’s post-war Union Movement during the late 1950s and 1960s.

The donation was to bestow the Alexander Mosley Professor of Biophysics Fund. St Peter’s College was expected to benefit from a £5 million boost for a student block named Alexander Mosley House.

UJS and Oxford Jewish Society have expressed distress over news of the donation.

Mosley, who died earlier this year, set up the trust a decade ago in the name of his son, Alexander, an alumnus of St Peter’s College who died of a drug overdose.

The Jewish charities have written to both the University and College, stating, “We find it extraordinary that, at a time when the university and its colleges are reviewing their legacies and making more efforts to be inclusive of minorities, your institutions could readily accept contributions from a notorious fascist family that has caused immense pain to the Jewish community within living memory and whose fortune derives from a man who strove to see the antisemitic policies of Adolf Hitler implemented in this country.”

The student bodies are “at a loss” to understand how a Jewish student will react to being taught by a professor or live in accommodation celebrating a family whose patriarch led violent marches through Jewish neighbourhoods and married his wife at Joseph Goebbels’s house in Berlin in the presence of Adolf Hitler.

Signed by 10 national and local charities, the letter has appealed to Oxford’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Louise Richardson, and master of St Peter’s College, Prof. Judith Buchanan, “in the strongest possible terms” to apply a portion of the funds to education about antisemitism delivered by a credible organisation, to dedicate some funds for Jewish life on campus, and St Peter’s in particular, confirm no project, including the endowed chair and student accommodation will honour or use the Mosley family name.

Signatories include AJEX, The Jewish Military Association, Campaign Against Antisemitism, Community Security Trust, Generation 2 Generation, Holocaust Educational Trust, Jewish Leadership Council, Oxford Chabad Society, Oxford Jewish Society, Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Europe and Union of Jewish Students.

Oxford JSoc President, Ore Gazit, and Vice President, Jack Olsburgh, in a

Oswald Mosley

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA

statement, wrote, “The Mosley family name is synonymous with fascism and antisemitism in Britain. The university’s decision to dedicate a professorship to this name serves to commemorate and revere the Mosley legacy.”

They added, “The absence of any

Lapid blasts “Death to Jews” rally in Poland

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA

BY ADAM MOSES

The Israeli and Polish government have condemned a “Death to Jews” neo-Nazi march in Kalisz on Poland’s Independence Day.

Three men have been arrested following the disturbing far-right rally which hundreds of demonstrators attended last Friday.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid welcomed the “unequivocal condemnation” by Polish authorities.

Lapid said that Jewish people expected the Polish government to act uncompromisingly against those who took part in a “shocking display of hate”.

Polish President Andrzej Duda slammed the antisemitic protest.

Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski announced the arrests on Twitter. “There is no consent to antisemitism and hatred based on nationality, religion or ethnicity,” he wrote. “In the face of the organisers of the disgraceful event in Kalisz, the Polish state must show its ruthlessness and determination,” Kaminski said.

Participants marched to the market square chanting “death to enemies of the fatherland.” And demonstrators burned a copy of the General Charter of Jewish Liberties (known as the Statute of Kalisz or Kalisz Privilege), a medieval document detailing Jewish community rights in Polish lands.

Poland’s Jewish community said in a statement that Polish Jews had not experienced such hatred in public for years.

Far-right activist Wojciech Olszanski reportedly organised the rally and after the burning incident told demonstrators, “We are abolishing Jewish rights in this land!”, adding “Death to the enemies of Poland!” The crowd responded by chanting “Death! Death! Death!” Olszanski was arrested.

“Poland is our homeland,” the Union of Jewish Religious Communities noted. “We are both Jews and Poles. We are asking, however, why our right to regard Poland as our home is being questioned ever more often and ever more openly?”.

The statement added that state and local governments had giving up its role as the main organiser of Independence Day celebrations allowing extreme right-wing organisations to use public assemblies to preach antisemitic, xenophobic and homophobic words.

Campaign Against Antisemitism said the abhorrent neo-Nazi rally was a repulsive testament to the persistence of far-right antisemitism.

“The promotion of such grotesque views at this march, held on Poland’s Independence Day, does a disservice to Polish patriotism,” a spokesman said. “How this march was approved in the first place, despite the record of its participants, raises serious questions, but we welcome the condemnations of the rally by Polish authorities and the arrests of its ringleaders. They must now suffer the full legal consequences of their actions.”

There has been criticism in Polisg media why it took a number of days for arrests to take place.

Piotr Rybak, reportedly burned an effigy of a Jew and was amongst the trio arrested.

In 2019, Rybak reportedly went to Auschwitz claiming, “It’s time to fight against Jewry and free Poland from them!” communication and consultation with Oxford’s Jewish students is inconsiderate and inappropriate.”

The JSoc leaders have called on Oxford University and benefitting colleges to reflect on the impact of the donations on Jewish students and wider student body.

“As an institution that seeks to promote an inclusive environment for all, we hope that Oxford University and the colleges involved will reconsider their positions,” they added.

UJS is working to ensure Jewish student voices are heard and there is no long-standing impact.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said students deserved an explanation.

Speaking from Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp last week, he noted, “Antisemitism is not simply a historic debate, it is a present danger and a scourge that exists, sadly, on our campuses,” he said.

Zahawi called on universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition oi antisemitism.

Oxford University said it had “robust and rigorous” guidelines over donations and research funding.

The Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust reportedly said that no funds received or distributed were the proceeds of fascism.

It has been reported that Imperial College received £2.5 million from the Trust and University College London £500,000.

Police investigate antisemitic incidents

Police are investigating disturbing antisemitic incidents in Stamford Hill this week.

Jewish ladies were chased on Clapton Common by a gang of thirteen-year-olds shouting about suicide and reportedly implying “threats to kill”.

The gang is believed to be associated with the nearby Webb Estate and accused of harassing Jewish residents for a number of years.

The incident took place at around 7pm on Tuesday and was reported by volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol Stamford Hill Shomrim.

Anyone with information should contact the police on 101 or Shomrim on 0300 999 0123 (Ref: CAD56 17/11/2021.

Also, in Stamford Hill, a woman shouted “******* Jew, dirty Jew!” at a Jewish driver before throwing a stone at the car.

The incident took place at 1.40pm on Monday on Filey Avenue and reported by Shomrim.

Police want to speak to a female driver of a black Nissan Juke with registration DV17 HPE.

Anyone with information should contact the police on 101 or Shomrim on 0300 999 0123 (Ref number: CAD4632 15/11/21).

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NEWS 7

Turkey holds Israeli couple on espionage charges

BY SIMCHA ABIR

Israeli diplomats are working “around the clock” to secure the repatriation of a married couple held by Turkish authorities on espionage charges.

Natali and Mordy Oknin are accused of taking pictures of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Palace in Istanbul from a telecommunications tower.

A Turkish court has remanded the couple in custody for 20 days.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has stated the Oknin’s innocence and is keeping the family updated on a return to Israel as they were mistakenly involved in a “complex situation”.

Bennett has denied claims the couple had connections to an Israeli intelligence agency. “The most senior echelons in Israel dealt with this issue throughout the weekend, led by the Foreign Ministry, and will continue to work tirelessly with the aim of finding a solution,” he explained.

President Isaac Herzog has also spoken to family members and ratified Bennett’s comments.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said Israel was “working around the clock at the highest levels” to secure the release of the Modi’in couple.

Due to the political sensitivity Lapid has appealed to MKs, ministers and media outlets to address the incident “responsibly” to ensure a safe return.

Natali and Mordy Oknin

PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Israeli diplomats were granted permission to visit the Oknins, who are in different prisons, on Monday. The Foreign Ministry confirmed envoys ensured they are being held under appropriate conditions.

Lawyer Nir Yaslovizh is acting for the Oknins and informed Israeli media “every effort” was being made to bring them back to Israel.

Yaslovitz visited Mordy and told an Israeli media outlet his detention conditions were “not easy”.

“I promised to bring him back to Israel and I intend to keep my promise,” he said.

Yaslovizh is expected to process an appeal to reduce the remand. A trial date has not been set.

“We’re not operating under a stopwatch, we are doing all we can to bring them back to Israel,” he said.

The Israeli Embassy in Ankara is liaising with the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Mossad and the National Security Adviser are working with connections.

Israel-Turkish relations have been strained although during the summer Erdogan congratulated Herzog on his appointment.

The coming days are seen as crucial for a diplomatic solution as the couple could face fabricated charges and imprisonment.

It has been reported that Israel could update travel advice to Turkey, which is a popular destination for Israeli tourists.

A number of Turkish media outlets meantime have criticised authorities over the arrests as tourists visit the television tower to take pictures.

Former Israel Ambassador to Ankara, Pinchas Avivi, was quoted in Israeli media that the fact that Erdogan had not officially commented on the arrests was positive for the couple.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported an employee tipped off police about the Oknins.

A Turkish national, reportedly with the couple, was arrested on suspicion of political and military espionage.

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18 NOVEMBER 2021

Leeds condemns antisemitism

BY DAVID SAFFER

Leeds United Football Club is the latest Premier League team to condemn antisemitism.

The Yorkshire club’s stand follows Chelsea season ticket holder Nathan Blagg pleading guilty to sending antisemitic messages and the furore involving West Ham in a recent Europa League clash against K.R.C. Genk in Belgium earlier this month.

Regarding the Hammers, a third man has been arrested after a video surfaced of fans chanting an antisemitic song at a Chasidic passenger on a Ryanair flight to Belgium from Stansted Airport for a Europa League match (November 4).

Leeds took a strong stance against antisemitism in their matchday programme against Leicester City following the Genk clash.

The official statement made a point to speak out against fans who they say have “tarnished some fixtures by using antisemitic chanting, noises and gestures”.

As for the use of the word ‘yid’ in football, Leeds noted that it opposed the “justification of opposition fans using specific terms as a form of identity”. The club was clear that there was “no place for such behaviour” regardless of its use by supporters of other clubs or its inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary where the Y-word is described as ‘derogatory and offensive’.” The statement added, “Discriminatory actions or language have no place anywhere in football or society”. Leeds were proud to be part of an “inclusive and diverse” club. “Our players, staff, fans and visitors come from such a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, including the Jewish community, and we want to ensure that everyone feels safe and valued at all times,” the statement explained. “We would like to urge all of our supporters to think about the words they use and show their support in the right way, at Elland Road and any other ground around the country.”

A Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesperson commended Leeds for taking a firm stand against antisemitism.

This was particularly the case, given “high-profile instances of abhorrent anti-Jewish racism by some football supporters of other clubs”. CAA added, “Antisemitism in sport in intolerable, and other football clubs should follow Leeds’ admirable example.”

Jonathan Metliss, Action Against Discrimination chairman, welcomed the statement, although, he noted, it was ironic as Leeds for many years had Jewish owners in Manny Cussins and Leslie Silver.

Metliss added, “It is very positive and encouraging coming at the same time as the long awaited and delayed action against racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.”

In related news, police have questioned a 31-year-old from Dartford after he voluntarily attended a police station in connection with the West Ham incident.

“This is not the first time a minority of West Ham supporters have engaged in grotesque antisemitic abuse,” commented a CAA spokesman. “We commend both the police for these arrests and the club for swiftly imposing bans on those from the video whom it identifies. ‘

They added, “Football clubs have long said the right things about kicking racism out of the football, and it is reassuring that West Ham is taking this opportunity to translate those promises into action. We are in contact with Ryanair to understand from the airline what action its crew took on board to protect its passenger from racist abuse.”

Chief Superintendent Tom Simons, who is leading the investigation, commented, “Essex Police will not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind. Having been made aware of the incident officers worked quickly to secure an arrest at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Two men, aged 55 and 26, had been arrested in connection with the West Ham incident.

Hammers fans were filmed chanting “I’ve got a ******** haven’t you, ******* Jew” whilst the orthodox passenger was taking his seat before it departed the airport.

AAD described the incident by West Ham fans as “undiluted racist abuse”.

Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl called for a police investigation into an incident.

Police confirmed the arrests were on suspicion of Section 4A Public Order after questioning the men in connection with the video. The enquiry is ongoing.

A West Ham spokesperson said the club condemned the behaviour of the individuals involved and had a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination.

“Any individuals identified will be issued with an indefinite ban from the club,” they noted. Anyone with information or phone footage of the Ryanair incident are asked to call the Police on 101.

Search for Israeli ends in tragedy

The body of an Israeli hiker who went missing has been found in southern Mexico after a three-day search.

Yanai Rimon, 25, from Sderot, according to a friend he was traveling with, went missing last Wednesday Yanai Rimon PHOTO: FACEBOOK after falling into a river at the Mexican-Guatemalan border and was swept away by the current.

Yanai’s friends and locals were joined by rescue teams using helicopters, drones and search dogs.

Yanai was the second child of four of Nirit and Dori Rimon.

“The Rimon family is grateful to Yanai’s friends, friends for life who vowed they will not return without Yanai,” the family said in a statement.

“Our hearts go out to them and the group of friends who joined them and worked day and night to try to find Yanai and did not let go of the belief that he would be found alive and returned to them.”

The group went on a trip a few months ago after finishing military service. According to reports, the trip did not include challenging or dangerous tracks.

Knoll murderer gets life sentence

BY ADAM MOSES

The murderer of a Holocaust survivor in Paris three years ago has begun a life sentence.

Yacine Mihoub, 32, will not be considered for parole until 2043 after stabbing Mireille Knoll 11 times and partially burning her body in a horrific attack in her Paris apartment in 2018.

The ruling by a Paris court followed a harrowing case that incited antisemitism across France.

Co-accused, Alex Carrimbacus, was acquitted of murder, but sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for aggravated robbery of the 85-year-old’s home.

Mihoub’s mother, Zoulikha Khellaf, received a three-year prison term, including a year with electronic surveillance for destroying objects and cleaning the murder weapon.

“It’s fair, it’s what we expected. Our family will be able to start mourning,” Knoll’s grandson reportedly said.

“A life sentence for the murderer of Mireille and prison terms for his accomplice and mother come as a relief, as does the court’s recognition of the role of antisemitism in the killing,” Campaign Against Antisemitism noted. “The antisemitic murder of a Holocaust survivor is a monstrous illustration of the scale of Jew-hatred in France. It is no credit to the French judicial

Mireille Knoll z”l

PHOTO: COURTESY

system that, given the Halimi precedent, this verdict and sentence were even in question. We hope that Ms Knoll’s family can now begin to mourn her.”

According to the court, Mihoub was “fuelled by hatred” because of Knoll’s Jewish religion and Mihoub’s prejudices and beliefs that riches could be hidden in the victim’s apartment.

President Emanuel Macron has stated Knoll’s murder was an antisemitic incident as Mihoub “assassinated an innocent and vulnerable woman because she was Jewish”.

Knoll lived next door to Mihoub’s mother and acted as a surrogate grandmother to her son.

Knoll’s death occurred 12 months after the murder of Sarah Halimi in her Paris apartment.

Halimi, 65, was murdered by 27-yearold Muslim neighbour, Kobili Traore, who tortured then pushed her out of a window to her death.

French authorities refused to admit the antisemitic crime for months.

France’s Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that Halimi’s killer would not stand trial as he was high on cannabis when he committed the murder.

President Macron called for reforms in French law following the case.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre was similarly distressed by the Supreme Court decision. The Centre’s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels described it as a “devastating blow”

“It confirms that it is possible to deny justice for a murder aggravated by its antisemitic character,” he noted. “This decision potentially creates a precedent for all hate criminals to simply claim insanity or decide to smoke, snort or inject drugs or even get drunk before committing their crimes.”

Halimi’s family is considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

Mass demonstrations took place in Paris and London following the outrageous verdict.

A Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesperson referred to the ruling as a “disgraceful miscarriage of justice”.

Knoll escaped the Velodrome d’Hiver (“Vél d’Hiv”), which was the biggest roundup of French Jews during the Holocaust in 1942. Over 13,000 men, women, and children were arrested. Most were deported to Auschwitz, less than 100 survived.

Bennett to tackle “chronic” crime rates

Knesset passes first stage of ‘two term’ PM bill

BY ADAM MOSES

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has vowed to tackle “chronic” crime rates following an armed fight in the Arab sector that stunned residents.

An emergency meeting took place hours after clashes between rival Bedouin families from Rahat outside Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva. Gunshots were heard outside south Israel’s most populated hospital. There were four injuries and 20 arrests.

“We are dealing with problems that we have become used to,” he explained, adding that the quantities of illegal weapons was “enough for a small army”.

“The arsenal that has accumulated and expanded over many years, needs to be emptied,” Bennett continued. “Israel Police has started to work with full force. We are making a critical effort throughout the country against weapons and munitions.”

Operations will continue until the mission is completed, Bennett added.

Be’er Sheva Mayor Rubik Danilovich described the escalating crime wave as a “national emergency” and “real war on democracy”.

The families reportedly arrived at the hospital to see relatives at the same time.

“This is civil terrorism that is slowly

Naftali Bennett

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA

beginning to take over the state,” Danilovich noted. “Murder cases have become routine and no one is waking up. Someone has to come and talk to the Israeli public, they are losing their sense of personal security.”

Danilovich added that Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai spoke to the hospital’s management.

And he called for Shin Bet to help in the fight or it would spread across the country.

The Mayor also claimed that the State of Israel had lost control and leaders had to send a clear message before another “red line” was crossed.

WJC coordinates youth assembly

BY SIMCHA ABIR

World Jewish Congress is coordinating a Jewish Youth Assembly as they invest in future leaders.

High school students will meet virtually in February 2022 to discuss challenges facing Jewish communities around the world.

During the assembly over 100 participants will be assigned to 12 country delegations representing a Jewish community. Each will meet leaders to learn about challenges.

Delegations will evaluate various topics including preserving Holocaust memory without access to first-hand testimony, fighting antisemitism and Holocaust denial on social media.

The assembly will discuss online hate and the next generation’s approach to Jewish peoplehood.

Students will develop their diplomatic skills as they converse with political leaders.

“The younger generation, which may already face antisemitism will be tasked with leading the global Jewish community tomorrow,” Lauder explained. “Participants will leave the programme better informed, better equipped and better connected to tackle the challenges of the Jewish people,” he added.

The assembly will vote on resolutions based on topics proposed by delegations.

“This programme has a global reach and demonstrates WJC’s long-term commitment to engaging and inspiring future leaders,” said Yoni Hammerman, WJC NextGen.

Future JYA meetings will be in person depending on health protocols.

Teenagers aged 15 to 18 can apply for the project. Applications are through the JYA website until December 15th. Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation has backed a bill to set term limits for a future Prime Minister

The amendment tabled by Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar means Israel’s leader will step down after eight years or two terms in power.

“Prolonged rule is a danger to the freedom of the nation and to the morality of its sons,” Sa’ar said. “It breeds corruption”. “Term limits, in lieu of a limitless term, are an important principle at the foundation of the perception that the government works for the wellbeing of the citizens instead of itself and its survival.”

He added, “We will continue to strengthen Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.”

The draft bill must pass three Knesset readings before becoming law.

It will also not be retroactive so opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who is opposed to wthe bill and served a recording breaking 15 years in office, could serve again if he seeks re-election.

Likud MK David Bitan backs the bill as it does not affect Netanyahu.

“I don’t think we can oppose this law, it won’t look good in the eyes of the public,” he said. “I am ready for Netanyahu to be Prime Minister for eight years.”

Bitan added that he would vote according to Likud’s position on the bill.

Campus incidents up 59% in ‘20/‘21

BY DAVID SAFFER

Antisemitic incidents on campus have increased 59% in the 2020/21 academic year.

CST recorded 111 university-related antisemitic incidents compared to 70 in 2019/20.

The hike in incidents is down to the conflict in Israel and Gaza in May.

The month of hostilities saw 64 of the university-related incidents. CST has recorded university-related incidents since 2002, the latest statistics is a record.

The highest totals on campuses were at the University of Bristol and University of Warwick with 11 apiece, University College London on 10, University of Oxford 9 and University of Birmingham 8.

There were also eight incidents that directly targeted the Union of Jewish Students.

Almost all 2020/21 incidents involved verbal, written or online abuse. Only one was assault.

“This record high for university-related antisemitic incidents, and the fact they have risen for the fourth year in a row, should ring alarm bells for everyone in the Higher Education sector,” noted a CST spokesman. “Universities need to be doing much more to ensure their complaints processes are fit for purpose and that Jewish students get the necessary support when they suffer antisemitism. The fact that this record total coincided with the recent conflict in Israel and Gaza shows yet again that wherever extreme anti-Israel hate is found, anti-Jewish hatred surely follows.”

Bristol and Warwick campuses have had ongoing and high-profile cases of alleged antisemitism involving academic staff.

Ten of the incidents at Bristol occured in February when David Miller made outrageous comments that led to his dismissal. All of the incidents at Oxford were in May during the Gaza conflict.

CST has a full time campus team that travels to campuses across the UK ensuring Jewish student events are secure, providing personal safety advice to students and offering victim support to students who experience antisemitism. CST national emergency 24-hour number: 0800 0323263

IFFSE & CER hold Afghan-Taliban debate

The Institute for Freedom of Faith & Security in Europe (IFFSE) and Conference of European Rabbis held an online joint discussion on the Western withdrawal from Afghanistan and Taliban takeover.

Security expert and IFFSE Director Peter Neumann moderated the event. CER President, Moscow’s Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, referred to the refugee situation on the Belarusian border.

The virtual debate focused on the relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaida, and amount the Islamic State benefits.

The debate pondered whether Afghanistan could become a “safe haven” for international terrorism.

An expert panel called for the West increase humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.

Professor Hassan Abbas, National Defense University, Washington DC, warned that a supply crisis could play into the hands of terrorist group Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K).

Experts also stressed a growing rivalry between the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

According to Asfandyar Mir, United States Institute of Peace, Afghanistan could be a place of international Islamist terrorism within two years.

And Katherine Zimmerman, American Enterprise Institute in Washington, voiced concern that the Taliban’s power could lead to conflict regions. There was a view the Taliban had changed since 9/11 as twothirds of members were born since the global terrorist event.

Rabbi Goldschmidt concluded that in Afghanistan a “medieval grouping” had succeeded in defeating major powers.

It was important extremists did not destabilise neighbouring countries and beyond.

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18 NOVEMBER 2021 Al Jayoosi terror T-shirt guilt

BY ADAM MOSES

Campaign Against Antisemitism has welcomed news that a man has pleaded guilty to wearing T-shirts supporting banned terror groups.

Feras Al Jayoosi, 34, of Swindon, was charged with four counts of wearing an article, namely a T-shirt, supporting a proscribed organisation contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Al Jayoosi was accused of wearing the T-shirts at Barbury Castle in Swindon in May and Golders Green in June. CST reported him to Police for the incidents, who opened an investigation.

One T-shirt had a logo of Izz al-Din al Qassem Brigades, Hamas’ “political wing” that is banned in the UK. The other T-shirt, also with a logo, backed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group, also banned.

Al Jayoosi was identified from CCTV and duly arrested at his home address in June.

CAA have called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to ban Hamas in full.

Al Jayoosi was charged last month and released on conditional bail, sentencing is expected on December 17th.

“This was yet another brazen display of support for the Hamas terrorist organisation, which seeks the genocide of all Jews worldwide,” commented a CAA spokesperson.

“We welcome this verdict but the police have one hand tied behind their backs in dealing with this threat due to a legal loophole that the Government has yet to close. It is high time that the Government heeded our warnings by proscribing the entirety of Hamas instead of one notionally-distinct part of it.”

CAA added, “Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are terrorist organisations and the presence of a man walking round Golders Green openly supporting these terrorist groups while wearing a large backpack was understandably alarming. This was especially the case coming so soon after the huge rise in antisemitism and anti-Jewish extremism during the recent conflict in Israel.”

CAA commended the swift action and cooperation between security guards in Golders Green, CST’s National Security Control Centre and counter-terrorism police.

“We are grateful to the police and CPS

for securing this conviction,” they noted. Commander Richard Smith, the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command head, said, “Al Jayoosi’s actions caused a great deal of concern within local communities, and an investigation was quickly launched as a result of a call to police. This case further underlines how important information from communities is to our work, and how seriously we take reports of this nature.” Smith called on anyone with concerns or suspicions about crime in their neighbourhood to call police. “We will listen, and we will act,:” he said. “Communities defeat terrorism and information from the public is vital to counter terrorism Feras Al Jayoosi PHOTO: MET POLICE investigations. If you see or hear something unusual or suspicious and think someone may be engaging in terrorist activity, trust your instincts and act by reporting it in confidence online. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”

Israel prepares for new COVID-19 variants

BY DAVID SAFFER

Israel might ban travel to European destinations with high COVID-19 rates.

Health Ministry Director General Professor Nachman Ash this week said Israel must limit the danger of new variants.

“This is what we’ve been trying to do over the past few months and that is no simple task,” he explained.

Ash added that no changes to current policy had been made over tourists visiting Israel or stopping Israelis from traveling abroad. But some countries may be classified as red zones.

“We consider the data on a weekly basis and thus far, the number of people entering Israel who have been confirmed to have been infected, remains low,” he explained.

Ash hailed the booster vaccine that Israel has championed since July.

“Most people traveling abroad have been vaccinated with three doses and are protected from infection,” he said. Ash added that the efficacy of the booster shot remains high. “We hope it will be effective for longer than six months,” he noted.

Ash expects paediatric vaccines to be soon approved for children aged 5 to 11.

“I hope they will be here within days. I cannot say definitely when but we will begin vaccinating young children by next week or the week after,” he said.

Head of Infectious Disease at Sheba Medical Center, Professor Galia Rahav, has reportedly advised Israelis not to travel to Europe.

“The booster shots appear to provide a

Vaccination stations in Israel

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

good protection from infections,” she noted, “But with new variants appearing, there is a risk.”

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke at the National Management Center about a national ‘Omega’ drill to test nationwide preparations for a new variant.

“We took Israel out of the Delta wave, without even one day of lockdown,” he said. “Not only is this an important achievement but it shows that it is possible to do things differently. We have proven that with proper management, it is possible to beat the pandemic.”

Bennett added, “The world is still in the reality of a pandemic. The coronavirus has not yet disappeared. There is currently record morbidity in Europe. Just like the Delta strain broke out violently, other, even more deadly and more infectious strains could come, which could bypass the vaccine.

“The State of Israel needs to be prepared. The right thing to do is to prepare for any scenario, check that all government ministries are ready, that hospitals know how to deal with extreme scenarios and that the scientists are carefully monitoring every variant that appears in the world while it is still small.

“We will contribute from our experience to other countries, we are already doing so. We will also continue to be a global center of knowledge and insights, which save lives around the world.

“The most important tool at our disposal against the virus is, of course, the vaccines. Our goal is that most of the population will be protected. Now, in light of the approval of the FDA and of the Advisory Committee for Epidemic Management in Israel, and there is no doubt regarding safety, there is no reason to leave our children defenseless. There is no reason why a child should infect, and be infected by, others and, under certain conditions, also deal with the side effects of long Covid, a series of difficult phenomena, when their entire lives are yet before them.”

Bennett appealed to parents to allow the vaccination of children. “Safeguard them, give them the same layer of protection that you have,” he said.

The ‘Omega’ drill is being be run by Defense Ministry Director of Civil Defense Brig.-Gen. Moshe Edri.

Participants include professional agencies, National Security Council, IDF and Knesset representatives.