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POLL QUESTION
Is U.S. policy toward Israel becoming biased against Israel under President
Obama?
CLICK HERE to vote
PREVIOUS POLL RESULTS
Do you believe the group “Queers against Israeli apartheid” is driven by
antisemitism?
Yes:
87%
No:
12%
WEEKLY FEATURES
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Donor’s Corner:
SPOTLIGHT ON
Alan Farber
Currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors at
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) and the founding
partner of Farber Financial Group, Alan Farber’s eight-year relationship with
FSWC also includes canvassing on behalf of the organization as well as sitting
on the Resource Center Advisory Council.
Alan joined FSWC because he felt it was important to ensure the Jewish/Israeli
position is effectively communicated “to world influencers”. Alan’s best memory
of working with FSWC was leading a group to visit the Museum of Tolerance in Los
Angeles.
He remains committed to FSWC and advancing the long-term goals of the
organization. “I want to help elevate Israel and the Jews worldwide to ensure
that they contribute in the highest possible way to humanity, while at the same
time crushing the genocidal inclinations of many of its enemies,” Alan says.
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News Features
of the Week
“Not
all apartheid is created equal”
By Martin Regg Cohn in the Toronto Star
Courses on tolerance are sorely needed in our schools
By Freda Lewkowicz in the Montreal Gazette
FASTFORWARD
NEW FEATURES!
Letters to the Editor
Do you have any questions about FSWC activities, decisions or positions on
issues? Please let us know.
Email theeditor@fswc.ca
Ask the President
Take the opportunity to ask Avi Benlolo, President and CEO of FSWC, about where
he stands on the issues that matter to you, and how he plans to handle the
matters most important to the Jewish community.
Email president@fswc.ca
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US ON:
FSWC
IS SUPPORTED BY CONCERNED CANADIANS. PLEASE CALL
416-864-9735
TO
HELP MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
OR
VISIT US AT
WWW.FSWC.CA
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TORONTO STAR EDITORIAL BOARD
TELLS FSWC
PAPER NOT ANTI-ISRAEL
In the wake of ongoing negative media coverage about Israel following the
“Flotilla incident”, Avi Benlolo, President and CEO of Friends of Simon
Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC), Allen Grinberg, a member of the
Executive Committee of the FSWC Board of Governors and Stacey Starkman, FSWC
Communications Coordinator met with the newspaper’s Editorial Board on July 7 to
discuss the perceived bias.
Representing the Toronto Star were Editorial Page Editor Ian Urquhart, Deputy
Editorial Page Editor Martin Regg Cohn, Foreign Affairs Reporter Olivia Ward,
Columnist Haroon Siddiqui and Public Editor Kathy English.
The conversation focused on the Star’s seeming prejudice against Israel and the
rush to judgment by the paper after the flotilla incident, as cited by an FSWC
in-house study confirming 74% of Toronto Star articles were heavily weighted
against Israel in the two weeks following the flotilla attack on Israeli
soldiers.
The Star agreed with FSWC’s conclusion that the flotilla articles were largely
negative on Israel.
In comparison, FSWC found only 12 articles were printed about the ethnic
violence in Kyrgyzstan as opposed to 31 articles about the flotilla. With some
2000 deaths and 400,000 refugees, FSWC argued the humanitarian situation in
Kyrgyzstan should have received much more attention from the Star.
In response to these findings the Star cited deadline pressures, a need to
represent all sides of the story and the fact that many newspapers around the
world took an even harsher stance against Israel as a rationale for its
editorial slant. Avi Benlolo rejected this view, advising that the Star is
responsible for what it publishes and cannot justify its behaviour by pointing
to other media.
“The Toronto Star is not an “anti-Israel” newspaper. Editorially, we have always
supported Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state within safe and secure
borders. But we will from time to time criticize Israel’s government, just as we
criticize the Canadian government” said Ian Urquhart.
“That’s fine,” said Avi Benlolo, “as long as you strive for an even handed and
balanced approach to both sides and ensure the tone of the paper
does not incite hate toward the Jewish state”.
NEWS
UPDATES
MUSLIM EXTREMIST CHARGED WITH PROMOTING GENOCIDE
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For the first time in Canadian history an individual has been charged with
promoting genocide. On Thursday, July 8 the Ontario Provincial Police laid
charges against Bangladeshi-Canadian Salman Hossein following an investigation
into internet postings that called for the extermination of Jews.
In an interview with John Oakley on 640AM Radio Avi Benlolo said, “The charges
against Hossein are not only a matter for the Jewish community. They affect all
Canadians because he is encouraging terrorism in Canada and against Canadian
troops in Afghanistan.”
OVERWHELMING
VOTE AT TORONTO CITY HALL PUTS
PRIDE TORONTO ON
NOTICE
·
Following the recent Gay Pride parade in Toronto, and the flip flop decision by
Pride Toronto to first ban and later permit the participation of the hate group
“Queers against Israeli apartheid”, Toronto City Councillors Giorgio Mammoliti
and Rob Ford raised the issue of future funding for the parade at City Council.
After a number of motions were written and rewritten to address the controversy,
Toronto Councillors joined in a rare show of almost total agreement to quickly
deal with this issue. In a near unanimous decision (36 -1, with only Beaches –
East York Councillor Sandra Bussin voting against) a motion was passed by
Council to ensure that future Pride parades are funded only after the
parade is held and has been deemed to be in compliance with the city’s
anti-discrimination policy.
FSWC attended the vote at City Council to show support for the Councillors who
have been working with us to counter displays of hate in the Pride parade since
this issue first arose.
CLICK HERE to read the FSWC release on Council’s decision
IRANIAN-CANADIAN CONVICTED OF VIOLATING UN BAN
·
In a case unprecedented in Canada, an Iranian-Canadian has been convicted of
violating the UN ban on shipping materials to Iran that could be used to aid
Iran’s nuclear program.
Mahmoud Yadegari was found guilty on nine of the ten charges against him. He has
been held in custody by the RCMP since April 2009.
SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER
·
Ten Steps to Push Middle East Peace
After a rocky start marred by two disastrous visits to the White House from
which the press was barred, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to
receive a more cordial reception when he arrives for today's meeting with
President Obama. What Israelis need from the prime minister is more than an Oval
Office smile.
Want peace? Then it's time for some confidence-building measures to convince
Israelis that is what awaits them at the end of the tunnel - not national
suicide.
CLICK HERE to
read the full text of the Op-ed piece in the
Washington Times written by Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham
Cooper
·
Simon Wiesenthal Center Denounces CNN Editor for Mideast Affairs' Remarks
The Simon Wiesenthal Center denounced Octavia Nasr, CNN Editor for Mideast
Affairs, for glorifying the recently deceased Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, an
international 'godfather' of terrorism by stating in her twitter feed, "Sad to
hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammas Hussein Fadallah... One of Hezbollah's
giants I respect alot... "
CLICK HERE to
read the full press release
HILLARY
CLINTON, RABBI COOPER AND THE STRUGGLE
AGAINST ANTISEMITISM
·
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los
Angeles is coming to Toronto to brief FSWC members on his meeting with US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Rabbi Cooper is scheduled to speak with Secretary Clinton next week to discuss
the effort to combat global antisemitism and the struggle against BDS (Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions).
He will speak in Toronto on Monday, August 16 at the FSWC office at 5075 Yonge
Street in Toronto at 7:00 p.m. Seating at the Briefing is free but limited.
Please contact Elaine Martyn, Program
Developer, to reserve your seat as soon as possible.
A
PLEA FOR A LIFE FROM HEATHER REISMAN AND
MARINA NEMAT
·
A
forty-two-year-old Iranian mother, Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, has been
convicted of adultery while being married and has been sentenced to death by
stoning. As family members of Sakineh have reported, she was originally
convicted of adultery in 2006 and received ninety-nine lashes as punishment.
Then, recently, her case was reopened and the judge decided to sentence her to
stoning.
Heather Reisman has launched a website for Sakineh and is writing a letter to
Iranian authorities. The website is now up and running. Please share the link
with all your contacts and sign the petition on the site. International pressure
can save this woman's life. Wouldn't you want someone to stand up for you if you
were in Sakineh's place?
Here's the link: http://freesakineh.org/
________________________________________________
Media
Contact
Stacey Starkman, Communications Coordinator
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies
416-864-9735 x 32
sstarkman@fswc.ca
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