Along with JCC Watch, AFSI held two protest demonstrations this fall against the appointment of David Meyers at the Center for Jewish History and continues to keep a close watch on this issue. It has been reported that through writings and his role as a UCLA professor, David Meyers turned a generation of Jews against Israel. The Israel Group was given a direct and anonymous quote from an internationally respected UCLA professor and longtime colleague of David Myers: “The damage that Myers caused to Jewish life at UCLA will take many years to erase. He undermined systematically any attempt to bring students closer to Israel, and created two bastions of anti-Israel cultures: 1. the Center for Jewish studies, and 2. The history department.”

These statements confirm our stand that David Myers will not separate his role as a leader in The New Israel Fund, JStreet and othersof the same bent, from his role as the head of the largest repository of Jewish history in the US. The fight continues!

AFSI’s many Chizuk missions have taken us to the Temple Mount. Today’s reports out of Israel – well – could this potentially be setting a whole new tone for ascending the Temple Mount?

During Chanukah many rabbis, leading more than a thousand Jews in accordance with Jewish law, ascended the Temple Mount for the first time since its liberation in 1967.

Arutz Sheva reports Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Rabbi of the Samaria community of Har Bracha and the founder of the community’s Hesder yeshiva, ascended the Temple Mount this morning. Another group of 50 haredim ascended the Temple Mount on Wednesday, led by Rabbi Yitzhak Brand, one of the top students of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, and Rabbi Eliyahu Veber, one of the rabbis of the Hurva synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem.

US Exercises Veto at UN Security Council – UN Ambassador Haley Steady on US Position
Despite Today’s UN Vote Against Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration

America’s first veto in the UN in 6 years was cast on Monday. US Ambassador Nikki Haley voted against a draft resolution, which had the support of all 14 other members of the Security Council, calling on President Trump to withdraw recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Haley said of the US veto after the vote, “……The fact that this veto is being done in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process is not a source of embarrassment for us; it should be an embarrassment to the remainder of the Security Council.”

Today the UN voted against the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capitol and President Trump and Ambassador Haley made it clear they are “…taking names” and the White House dropped some hints that those “names” could see US funding cut-off.

This latest UN vote is being taken very seriously by President Trump and Ambassador Haley. Haley’s comment behind a UN closed door meeting, “To its shame, the United Nations has long been a hostile place for the State of Israel.” Read the full story

We applaud President Trump and Ambassador Haley for remaining steadfast friends of Israel by reaffirming their commitment to Israel’s sovereignty.

IAF Responds to Rocket Attacks on Sederot, but – UNACCEPTABLE for Civilian Life!!

Two rockets were fired into Sederot from Gaza and reportedly exploded next to a home in the community, but caused no injuries. The building was lightly damaged, an IDF spokesperson said. The head of the Sdot Negev Regional Council, Tamir Idan, urged the government to respond to this latest attack. “We expect and demand that the security forces respond….”

Turmoil over Jerusalem – Arabs and UN Conflicted – UN Ambassador Haley Stays Strong on US Position

• Saudi academic, Abdulhameed Hakeem, head of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies in Jedda, has voiced backing for President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and called on Arabs to recognize the city’s sanctity to Jews. “We as Arabs must come to an understanding……”
• No more anti-Israel resolutions at the UN, says Ambassador Nikki Haley. United States to exercised its veto power today on a resolution by Egypt at the UN Security council calling on all countries to refrain on establishing diplomatic missions with Jerusalem – READ HERE

Twitter to Monitor Hate Images

This latest news is very encouraging…In an effort to crackdown on hate groups, Twitter said in a statement that it would begin to put warnings before swastikas and other hate images along with banning their use in any profile photos on the Twitter network. AFSI welcomes this initiative and looks forward to Twitter setting an example for other social media groups to follow. Full Story Here.

President Donald Trump’s message delivered yesterday was, at its core, simple: it is time to recognize reality.

And today, we are celebrating this reality: Jerusalem has always been and will always be, the capital of Israel.

Historically, the Jewish people have stood alone, often during times of danger and tragedy when others wouldn’t come to their side. It is often said that in the world of diplomacy there is no such thing as friends, only interests. This may be true, and perhaps one day we will find out if President Trump turned decades of US foreign policy on its head because a) he believed it was in the best US interest to do so, or b) he was simply acknowledging reality, or c) he wanted to help a friend by righting a wrong.

Whatever the ultimate reason for President Trump’s action, today, we can bask in the results.

Please watch this short video (less than one min.) produced by AFSI friend, Ari Briggs. We applaud President Trump
for recognizing the ancient truth that
Jerusalem is the heart of Zion, the Capital of Israel.

President Donald Trump & Vice President Mike Pence holding the signed Proclamation affirming US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

At approximately 1:00 pm ET today President Trump announced that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel!

This is an unmistakable clear line drawn that Jerusalem is and has been the undivided and eternal capital of Israel.

This momentous event directs the State Department to begin the process of moving the United States embassy to Jerusalem.

Two weeks ago in a rare public move, Kuwaiti writer Abdullah Al-Hadlaq, urged Arab recognition of the State of Israel as a legitimate, “independent sovereign state,” and Israelis as a people with a right to their land.

Al-Hadlaq stated, “Like it or not, Israel is an independent sovereign state. Most peace-loving and democratic nations recognize it. The group of states that do not recognize Israel are the countries of tyranny and oppression.”

This comes on the heels of mounting reports showing covert (and not so covert) cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, as they face their common threat, Iran.

Whether or not this cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia (and other Arab states) is short-term – useful to both sides as long as necessary to stand up to Iran – or is long-lasting, remains to be seen.

Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu predicted that Israel would be able to engage in open diplomatic relations with Arab states in 50 to 100 years.
PM Netanyahu predicts open Israeli-Arab relations in ’50 or 100 years’

So, as hopeful as these reports are, we won’t hold our breath while Israel and its enemy Arab states make common cause against today’s common enemy. After all, the enemy of my enemy may still be my enemy.

Read the Kuwaiti writer’s interview HERE.

Will he or won’t he? That is the question.

As of this writing, US President Donald Trump has not signed the infamous US embassy waiver. If he does not sign it by the end of today (December 4), the United States will be obligated to move its Israel embassy, currently in Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem.

Many analysts are of the opinion that President Trump may take a middle course of action: he may sign the waiver, thus not obligating the US to move the embassy for the next six months, but will also announce that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Last night, Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) was the guest of honor at the annual Salute to Beit El institutions event in New York, hosted by American Friends of the Bet El Yeshiva Center. There, she counseled (and challenged) President Trump to “JUST DO IT” – MOVE THE EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM!

Justice Minister to Trump: Just do it!

Click below for MK Shaked’s speech.

(l-r) William Langfan; AFSI’s Co-Executive Directors Judy Kadish, Helen Freedman; AFSI CEO Mark Langfan

Last Thursday, the Florida branch of American Friends of Meir Medical Center hosted a dinner in support of the hospital.

Jeanine Piro, of Lebanese Christian descent, was the dinner’s Master of Ceremonies, and among the many distinguished speakers were Ido Aharoni, former Consul General of Israel in NY and Lior Haiat, the current Israeli Consul General to Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Puerto Rico.

AFSI’s CEO Mark Langfan and his father William, philanthropists and strong supporters of Israel for many years, were honorees at this festive dinner. AFSI’s Co-Executive Directors Helen Freedman and Judy Kadish joined the Langfans in their celebration.

Meir Medical Center with its more than 700 beds, is the central medical center of the Sharon and Shomron area, serving a population of approximately 800,000 residents. A number of large cities in this area include: Ramat Hasharon, Hod Hasharon, Kfar Saba, Herzliya, Ra’anana, and Netanya, as well as a number of communities in the Shomron. The facility is located in Kfar Saba, not far from Tel Aviv.