Americans For A Safe Israel is pleased to report that both England and Austria are set to declare that the Boycott Divestment Sanctions Movement (BDS) targeted at harming Israel is anti-Semitic.

With last week’s landslide win of England’s Conservative party leader Boris Johnson over Labour party’s leader – anti-Semite and foe of Israel – Jeremy Corbyn, rejection of BDS is on the agenda. England’s newly elected Conservative government is set to pass a law banning public bodies in Britain from engaging with the anti-Israel BDS movement.

Similarly, all of the major parties represented in the Austrian Parliament have agreed to support a resolution condemning the anti-Israel BDS movement as anti-Semitic.

The goal of the BDS movement is to destroy Israel and with that said, full rejection of BDS is the right thing to do for all civi and democratic loving nations. In the days to come, and certainly in the forthcoming New Year 2020, AFSI looks forward to hearing more countries reject any and all alliances with BDS.

With President Donald Trump’s Executive Order to combat anti-Semitism signed last week and France’s recent historic decision declaring that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, could it be that at last the truth about Israel is coming into vogue? We’ll be watching.

Sources:
British government to pass anti-BDS law, senior Conservative says, by Yaniv Halily. Ynet News – December 16, 2019

Austrian Parliament to Declare BDS Movement as Anti-Semitic, by Soeren Kern. Gatestone Institute – December 16, 2019

“The vile, hate-filled poison of anti-Semitism must be condemned and confronted everywhere and anywhere it appears.” ~President Donald J. Trump

President Trump signed an Executive Order on Wednesday that calls on government departments enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.

The order is targeted at federally funded universities and colleges. It will require the Department of Education, when reviewing whether there has been a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to consider the widely accepted definition of anti-Semitism as part of its assessment of whether an incident or activity may be anti-Semitic.

The IHRA defines anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities…Manifestations might include the targeting of the State of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic.”

With this official directive now in effect, it makes it very clear that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated. AFSI welcomes much stronger protection for Jewish students on American college campuses. With the disturbing rise of discrimination, intimidation and harassment against Jews, we trust there will be a significant shift in the anti-Semitic narratives hurled at Israel as well. It is our hope that the dual standards and false narratives that target Israel will now be considered anti-Semitic. Lastly, we would like to see the many members of Congress held accountable for shamefully including anti-Semitism in their politics.

We express a huge debt of gratitude to President Trump.Thank you President Trump for speaking the truth about the Jews.

Sources
President Donald J. Trump Is Committed to Combating the Rise of Anti-Semitism, Official White House Brief Issued on December 11, 2019

Trump announces executive order to fight antisemitism on US campuses, by Omri Nahmias, Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman. Jerusalem Post – December 11, 2019

The Knesset missed its deadline to nominate a candidate for prime minister, officially launching a third election in less than a year.

Debate in the Knesset continued on a bill that would have the election held on March 2 instead of the automatic date, March 10.

The 21-day period in which the Knesset had the mandate to choose someone to form a government ended at midnight Wednesday.

Almost no negotiations took place during the day, with last-ditch efforts to form a government abandoned earlier in the week, but MKs took the time to blame one another for the situation.

As the bickering continues and refusal to come together eludes them, the Jewish Nation State remains in limbo with no fully formed government. And that is dangerous.

One must wonder how a third election will effect the outcome.

Source
Israel going to third election in one year, by Lahav Harkov. Jerusalem Post – December 10, 2019

On Monday, Likud and Blue and White took a break from their ongoing fight over who is at fault for a potential third election. March 2 is the tentative date at the moment.

The two parties were set to begin on Monday to advance legislation required to set the election date.

But Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein stopped them, saying that more time should first be given to prevent an election and that if necessary, the bill to set the election date could be passed in to law on Wednesday.

Source:
Likud’s, Blue and White’s blame game begins before the March 2 elections, by Gil Hoffman. Jerusalem Post – December 9, 2019

Early Sunday, Israel’s military successfully struck a number of Hamas targets in the northern Gaza Strip in response to three rockets that were fired into Sderot hours earlier. No casualties were reported.

This latest attack on Israel comes as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders are currently in Egypt in talks with officials about reaching a ceasefire with Israel in return for economic benefits.

Source:
Israel strikes Hamas targets in Gaza after three rockets fired at Israel, by JNS Brief. Jewish News Syndicate – December 8, 2019

Senior leaders of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria praised a report by Haaretz that Defense Minister Naftali Bennett threatened the Palestinian Authority-run Hevron municipality not to oppose the construction of a new Jewish neighborhood in Hevron.

“Defense Minister Bennett is the first to speak Arabic,” the officials said euphemistically, noting the change in Israeli policy towards threats to the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

Sources:
Yesha leaders: “Bennett is the first Defense Minister to ‘speak’ Arabic”, by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva – December 8, 2019

Of the 3 recent House Resolutions on the 2-state illusion, the first two resulted in shockingly high levels of support for this dangerous illusion – a difference of 200-plus or 300-plus congressmen, between supporters and opponents of Israel’s nemesis.

HR 326, which DID PASS on Friday had a discrepancy between support and opposition of a mere 38 congressmen – less than 10%. The number of TSS (TWO STATE SOLUTION) supporters used to be horrifically high, in the mid- or high- 300’s. Currently only slightly more than 200 congressmen supported this dangerous illusion, all but a tiny handful being from one side of the aisle – making it difficult to present TSS as being bi-partisan from now on. Also, in terms of opposition, whereas up to now opposition was well below 100 (less than one-quarter), the opposition this time jumped to almost 200 (almost half).

It is important to note that the number of Republican sponsors for the 2-state illusion, which was 100 or more in the 2 previous resolutions, is now down to zero, again making it difficult to present TSS as being bi-partisan from now on.

AFSI will continue working until ALL congressmen in BOTH parties understand that supporting Israel means rejecting the dangerous 2-state illusion which would result in a new terrorist failed state just a bike-ride away from Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv and Ben Gurion airport.

AFSI will continue to educate Americans; emphasizing that NEITHER of Israel’s large parties support the 2-state illusion, nor does it appear in Israel’s Government Guidelines.

PM Netanyahu told the New York Times months ago, that “A Palestinian state…. will endanger our existence.” Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely, just a few days ago, stated again that Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and herself, in all political meetings abroad, “reiterate that the idea of ​​the Palestinian state is an idea that the State of Israel is completely opposed to”, adding that “Anyone who supports the establishment of a Palestinian state is unquestionably acting against the Israeli interest”.

We will continue to insist that the USA must not coerce its ally Israel to assume a risk that the Government of Israel does not want its population to assume.

We are hopeful that AIPAC which previously took an extremely controversial stance to support the 2-state illusion, will increase the small step back it appears to have taken. If AIPAC truly does walk back its unilateral decision to support the 2-state illusion, it may regain some of its relevancy by working to finally rid congress of this delusional TSS thinking entirely. We call on AIPAC and all the organizations that are true friends of Israel to support Israel and return to the consensus approach, removing TSS language the in future so that all resolutions on Israel will once again enjoy 2/3 majorities as usual.

The earliest date that the next election in Israel could be held is February 25 due to the challenges of running the election, Central Elections Committee director-general Orly Ades said at a press conference in the Knesset today.

By law, if the Knesset is dispersed automatically on Wednesday night when the deadline to form a government passes, the election would be held on Tuesday, March 10, which is Purim. Ades said she expected the Knesset to vote to change the date of the race but that holding it on Purim was indeed possible.

Sources:
Israeli elections to be held on February 25 at the earliest by Gil Hoffman, The Jerusalem Post – December 5, 2019

The National Assembly of France passed a historic decision Tuesday night that anti-Zionism is a modern form anti-Semitism. This decision comes as rising anti-Semitism, including acts of violence, have taken place in France.

The motion passed with 154 in favor and 72 opposed in the parliament’s lower house. It was proposed by lawmaker Sylvain Maillard of LREM, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party.

World Zionist Organization vice chairman Yaakov Hagoel told The Jerusalem Post that he welcomed this “important decision…and expects other countries in Europe to pass a similar decision. I am very happy that the mask has been removed,” he said, “anti-Zionism is antisemitism. This disguise tried to legalize anti-Semitic and racist motives against the Jewish people – enough to make people hate.”

AFSI feels that this is a good start in recognizing that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. Ultimately we are interested to see how individuals and groups who commit acts of anti-Semitism will be held accountable. We want the rest of Europe (and the world) to follow France’s lead and enact legislation of their own to declare anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. We know It’s long overdue.

Sources:
French parliament praised for anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism decision by Ilanit Chernick, The Jerusalem Post – December 4, 2019

University of Bristol adopts IHRA definition of anti-Semitism by Ilant Chernick, the Jerusalem Post – December 5, 2019

Israel’s new Defense Minister Naftali Bennett ordered a new Jewish neighborhood at the site of an old Jewish marketplace in Hebron on Sunday.

Bennett instructed the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria to inform the Hebron municipality of the plan, Arutz7 reports.

The new neighborhood will lead to a continuous Jewish presence from the Cave of the Patriarchs, where, according to the Bible, Abraham purchased a burial plot for his wife Sarah, to the Avraham Avinu Jewish neighborhood. It will “double the number of Jewish residents in the city.”

The new community will be established in the market complex. The banner in this photo shows that the land was purchased by Jews over 200 years ago in 1817! Our friends at Im Tirtzu, along with the Jewish Community of Hebron, hung this banner together. (Im Tirtzu will be hosted by AFSI in a special program this coming Wednesday evening. Have you RSVP’d yet?)

While this may sound like old news made new again, AFSI looks forward to seeing the construction vehicles there and having this long fought for dream turned to reality!

Sources:
Israeli defense minister OKs new neighborhood in Hebron, will double Jewish population by World Israel News (WIN), World Israel News Staff – December 1, 2019