NYT interview: Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid says Jerusalem should not be the capital of any future Palestinian state in an interview with The New York Times
Bank heist: a man in Beersheba shoots four people dead in a bank robbery before turning the gun on himself and ending his life
Drone report: a new study shows that Israel is the worlds largest exporter of drones mainly to Europe, Asia and Latin America in trade worth more than USD 4.6 billion over the past 8 years
Freedoms assessment: US State Department reports that the Israeli governments respect for freedom of religion has remained consistent through 2012 but that it has engaged in ‘detailed discussions’ with Israeli officials over rights concerns that have persisted for multiple years
Bank heist: a man in Beersheba shoots four people dead in a bank robbery before turning the gun on himself and ending his life
Drone report: a new study shows that Israel is the worlds largest exporter of drones mainly to Europe, Asia and Latin America in trade worth more than USD 4.6 billion over the past 8 years
Freedoms assessment: US State Department reports that the Israeli governments respect for freedom of religion has remained consistent through 2012 but that it has engaged in ‘detailed discussions’ with Israeli officials over rights concerns that have persisted for multiple years
-
Hundreds demonstrate against Malmo anti-Semitism
Several hundred Jews and people of other faiths and none have marched in the southern Swedish city of Malmo to bring attention to intolerance and anti-Semitic attacks in the Nordic country . The city has a large immigrant Muslim community and attacks on Jews have spiked in recent years.
Niklar Orrenius, local journalist:
"Malmo is an immigrant city which is a safe haven for refugees from all over the world, but the first refugee group that came here was Jews fleeing persecution from Russia, Poland and the Holocaust. But now what's happening now the last year is you see that Jews are moving out of Malmo because some of them don't feel safe."
In recent years Sweden's government has come under criticism for failing to provide adequate protection to the country's small Jewish community and address the issue of anti-Semitism even after an explosion rocked a building in a Jewish community in Malmo last year .
Niklar Orrenius, local journalist:
"For many years the authorities, especially here in the city of Malmo, it seemed like they turned a blind eye to this persecution really, or this harassment of Jews in the city, but last year they have, the government in Sweden have granted money to, for security, for Jewish security, so they have changed the windows in the synagogue to more safe windows and things like that, but obviously that's not the real solution to the problem of anti-Semitism, it's more like...a bandaid, really."
In 2010 a group of Jews were attacked during a peaceful demonstration in support of Israel and in August several hundred Jews and non-Jews marched in Stockholm in solidarity with Malmo's persecuted Jewish community. Malmo’s mayor, Ilmar Reepalu, said that a group of Jews who were attacked during the peaceful demonstration had brought the violence upon themselves for not distancing themselves from Israel and its actions during the month-long Gaza War in 2008-09 . One demonstrator spoke of how he was harassed while working as teacher.
Henryk Grynfeld, former teacher:
“At the time I was working as a teacher at a school in Rosengard, where the majority of my students are from the Middle East and there I was the target of harassment from the students which was only because I was Jewish.”
A local Jewish community leader attempted to put the problem into perspective for the country’s 20,000 Jews.
Willy Silberstein, Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism:
"I think that it is a small minority that harasses Jews in Malmo, the big majority is here with us, but still the enemies are strong enough to be a big problem, that's why I'm here."
Anti-Semitism in Malmo first drew international attention in 2009, when riots broke out due to the presence of Israeli professional tennis players in the city.
-
Jews and Money
With the title Jews and Money the Frankfurt Jewish Museum uses the old castle of the Rothschild banking family to stage an exhibition about the stereotype of the rich Jew . We see how stereotypes and clichés about the millionaire Jew developed from the middle ages to today.
- Why this exhibition? What is the purpose of this exhibition?
Michael Lenarz, Frankfurt Jewish Museum:
“The exhibition is to show what are the reasons of the idea that Jews and money are closely connected , which is only imaginary and what is real behind that idea, and the fact is that public opinion concentrates on the few examples of very, very wealthy Jews who as well have political influence.”
Since a large percentage of the wealthiest people in the world are Jewish, a common question the world over is, ‘Why are so many Jews so wealthy?’ Their secret lies not in their genetics or intelligence, as some have believed, but in their religion. One historical reason is that, in the Middle Ages in Europe, the Christian Church forbade the charging of interest by money lenders so people had to borrow money from Jews instead of Christians.
- So here we see the cliché of the rich Jew in the middle ages, what do people think today, what is the cliché of the rich Jewish now?
Michael Lenarz, Frankfurt Jewish Museum:
“Well, the cliché is active today as well and you always have the fact that wealthy people always are regarded as Jews even if they aren’t.”
Now days if you are a millionaire chances are you are a Jew that is what people think.
Michael Lenarz, Frankfurt Jewish Museum:
“That’s it, that’s it, in fact there always are, if you look in the Internet, there you will find pages trying to make Rockefeller of Jewish origin.”
With the help of some surprising objects and images of the Rothschild banking family , the exhibition here at the Frankfurt Jewish Museum shows how stereotypes and clichés shape the picture that we have of ourselves and of ‘others.’ They are simplifications which help us to overcome our fear of the unknown.
Michael Lenarz, Frankfurt Jewish Museum:
“We have here some questions sent to us by the Chinese TV in 2011.”
- Two thousand and eleven?
Michael Lenarz, Frankfurt Jewish Museum:
“And you find in these questions all the stereotypes, which shows stereotypes developed in European middle ages are spread worldwide through literature, though the newspapers.”
- Stereotype which is shown here by the question from the Chinese television, the Jews are millionaires.
Michael Lenarz, Frankfurt Jewish Museum:
“The Jews are millionaires and the question is why are Jews millionaires and why are Jews objects of aggression perhaps because they are millionaires .”
It’s impossible to imagine modern culture without stereotypes and clichés, which help us overcome our fear of the unknown, but at the same time, can also provide us with a breeding ground for racism and anti-Semitism.
Wilson Ruiz, JN1 , Germany
-
Epic wedding ceremony in Belgrade, Serbia
Two-hundred-and-twenty-two Serbian couples have tied the knot in a massive wedding in Belgrade. The couples met at the town hall for the ceremony where white dresses were provided to the brides for free. This annual event which is organized by the city council has reached its fifteenth year with a record number of participants. The many newlyweds concluded the ceremony with visits to local bars and restaurants where they continued to celebrate with their families and friends.