The Coming Schism between Israel and the American Jewish Community

by Dov Waxman, Northeastern University

A protest by ‘If Not Now’ outside the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., March 2017. Gili Getz

Messy Breakup

This week, The New York Times, ran an op-ed piece entitled "American Jews and Israeli Jews Are Headed for a Messy Breakup." The article highlighted the widening schism between American Jews and their counterparts in Israel. Much of that dissension has to do with the right-wing views and authoritarian tactics of the leaders of their respective countries.

A Cautionary Tale about the Danger of Saviors and Blind Obedience

by Nomad

History has all kinds of interesting lessons to teach us. Here is one I recently found. 

The Saviors that Failed

The ancient concept of the Messiah, (mâšîah, "the anointed one") once figured prominently in the Jewish faith. In its basic form, the prophecies foretold of a divinely inspired leader who will save the world, or at least the nation of Israel.

Scholars tell us the belief originated with the exiled Jews in Babylonia in sixth century BC. It was practically a mania six centuries later when Israel fell under Roman rule.

As the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth represented only one candidate. Many others appeared before and after the Christ and drew large followings. The majority of them were religion-obsessed lunatics or outright charlatans.  

Fascism Made in the USA: The Night Nazis Fought on the Streets of New York City

by Nomad

The United States has had its share of fascist groups that have come and gone. One of those was the American Nazi Party, the Bund Party. Here's the story of its 1939 rally and how it led to its collapse. 

A "Pro-American" Rally

On The night of 20 February 1939, something occurred that became an interesting footnote in American history. Today it is mostly a forgotten bit of the history of New York City. And for many, it could be a period they would rather not recall.

That evening, Madison Square Garden was the venue for the American- German Bund party Washington's Day celebration, hosted by American-German Bund party. 

You may not be familiar with the Bund party, it was better known as the American Nazi party. 

Advertised as a "Pro-American Rally" it was attended by somewhere between 17,000 and 22,000. It was one of the largest gatherings of American Nazis of its time.

From the photographs of the event, there were the usual Nazi rally fixtures, flags, the swastikas, and uniforms. In order to establish its brand as true blue American, a forty-foot portrait of George Washington graced the stage. That was more than just window dressing. The organization had declared that Washington was "the first Fascist" who did not believe democracy would work. 

The meeting opened with a salute to the flag and the playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner." (It was to end with the Nazi anthem, however.)

The Tragic Murder of Yoav Hattab and The Chain of Sorrow

by Nomad

A look at one of the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks and how his life connects three cultures.

The name, Yoav Hattab, might not be familiar to you. He happened to be one of the four murdered hostages at the kosher supermarket, Hyper Cacher, (The other victims were Yohan Cohen, Philippe Braham, and François-Michel Saada.)

That attack was connected with earlier carnage on the offices of a satirical magazine which left 12 people dead and 11 others wounded. 

When terrorist Amedy Coulibaly stormed into the suburban market, he knew only that it was a Jewish-owned. That was enough of a target as far as he was concerned. In his mind, as in the minds of all terrorists, his victims had no families, no friends, and no histories. 

So. like the priest in The Bridge of San Louis Rey, I wanted to take a moment to look at the life and the death of this stranger who became a victim. 

The most tragic aspect of the supermarket attacks- as with terrorism in general- was its random nature. The fact that location was a target was random. The victims too were random. The only real linkage, from the attackers' point of view, was that the workers and the customers were most likely to be Jewish. 

In Hattab's case, that's only half of the story. This 21-year-old man was not French but from the predominantly Muslim Tunisia. He had been living in Paris while completing his graduate degree in international business studies. He was clearly not afraid of life and was preparing himself for an interesting productive life.

Moshe Uzan, a 25-year-old friend, told one reporter that Yoav's character set him apart."There are those who stand back and watch their lives. But he, he played an active role."

UK Publisher to Writers: Please Don't Talk about the Pigs!

by Nomad

According to one report from the UK Standard, a top academic publisher, the Oxford University Press (OUP), has issued guidelines which prohibit the mention of pigs and pork in children's schoolbooks. 

The ban is apparently an effort not to offend Muslims and Jews.

Though it isn't clear whether or not the rule is new, the subject of cultural sensitivity comes at a time of heightened tensions. Last week, Paris was rocked by attacks on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, in which twelve staff members were massacred by an terrorists in the name of Islam. Their excuse for the slaughter was payback for insulting the Islamic prophet.