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The Harvard Kennedy School of Government has announced one of the new Fellows for the school’s Future of Diplomacy Project: Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian politician who is also an architect of the infamous 400 million dollar a year Martyr’s Fund. This is a Palestinian government program that pays salaries to terrorists, in part by using foreign aid money from tax dollars.
Erekat also promotes BDS, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, whose stated aim (according to its founders) is to bring about Israel’s total destruction. Indeed, Saeb Erekat has a long history of poisoning the conversation about Israelis and Palestinians with misleading statements and even outright lies, keeping both sides farther from peace.
Israel’s establishment of relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain could make a dent in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday.
However, the ministry warned that the Abraham Accords could also trigger a counter-reaction by anti-normalization elements such as the Palestinian Authority, Hamas terrorist organization and Iran that could drive them closer together.
BDS recently called on Arab content creators to avoid working with popular Israeli-Palestinian video blogger Nas Daily, claiming he is “steeped in normalization.”
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged officials in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Wednesday to start negotiating with one another, following the diplomatic breakthroughs that resulted in the suspension of Israel’s plan to apply sovereignty to territory that Palestinians want for a future state.
Guterres reiterated the UN’s support for the US-brokered bilateral agreements between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, saying “international cooperation is an absolutely essential aspect to solve problems.”
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Paolo Grimoldi, an Italian member of parliament, nominated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his efforts to achieve peace with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
US President Donald Trump has also been nominated for the Nobel for his role in brokering the agreement. Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a Norwegian member of parliament, submitted the nomination.
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With Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year – beginning Friday evening, President Reuven Rivlin called on Israelis to come together during this especially trying time: “We will not prevail through finger-pointing and toxic accusations,” Rivlin said. “Only together. My fellow Israelis, you cannot beat coronavirus alone, but no one can beat it without you,” Rivlin added.
Over the past year, the population of Israel grew by more than 150,000 people, the Central Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. Israel now has an estimated 9,246,000 people, 1.6 percent more than a year ago, with 170,000 babies being born. In addition, 25,000 people immigrated to the country during this period.
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Actor Sacha Baron Cohen stars in The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin’s newest film, The Trial of the Chicago 7. Coming to Netflix on October 16, the movie is about Jewish anti-war activist Abbie Hoffman, played by Baron Cohen, who was tried along with six others for conspiracy and incitement to riot for their role in the 1968 protests at the Democratic National Convention.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the comedic actor’s second dramatic role as a Jewish character for the streaming service, after playing legendary Israeli Mossad agent Eli Cohen in the 2018 miniseries The Spy.
Recommended Content
- 50 Most Influential Jews of 2020 (Jerusalem Post)
- “This is the Beginning of the End of the Israeli-Arab Conflict” (Ariel Kahana, Israel Hayom)
- Jews Have Lived in Bahrain for 140 Years. The Country’s Peace Deal With Israel Changes Their Lives. (Josefin Dolsten, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
- Recently Discovered Prayer by Renowned 13th-Century Talmudist Ramban Goes Online (Marcy Oster, Times of Israel)
- Israel Film Archives Website Gives Access To Historical Treasures (Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post)
