Your daily spiel for Tuesday, March 8

Joe Biden meets Shimon Peres in Israel ELAD MALKA/PERES CENTER/ISRAEL SUN PHOTO
Joe Biden meets Shimon Peres in Israel ELAD MALKA/PERES CENTER/ISRAEL SUN PHOTO

Your Daily Spiel is The CJN‘s daily roundup of trending stories in the Jewish world


Canada: A synagogue in Thornhill has partnered with a mosque next door to sponsor Syrian refugees, universities in Manitoba are countering Israel Apartheid Week with Middle East Week, a Windsor publisher of an Arabic-language paper is being investigated over alleged violent jihad remarks, and Canadian MP Anthony Housefather has condemned Iran for gearing up to host its annual Holocaust cartoon contest.

A cartoon submitted to Iran's Holocaust Cartoon Contest
A cartoon submitted to Iran’s Holocaust Cartoon Contest

U.S.: The Bibi-Obama saga continues, as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu apparently turned down the White House’s request to meet with Barack Obama. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden landed in Israel today (he’ll meet with Bibi on Wednesday), a report states that the U.S. might (controversially) back a UN two-state proposal, and Michael Bloomberg has announced that he will not run for President after all.

In Flint, the city’s Jewish community is responding to the water crisis with both moral and material support; in New York, Vassar’s student government voted in favour of a BDS resolution, and a new ad campaign running in New York subways aims to combat Islamophobia through humour.

Israel: A U.S. tourist was killed and at least twelve people were injured during a round of terrorist attacks around the country today: in Jerusalem, a motorcyclist opened fire on two Israeli police officers (one remains in life-threatening condition), a man who was attacked in Petach Tikvah was able to fight off his attacker and fatally stab him with his own weapon, and in Jaffa, a U.S. tourist was killed and at least nine were injured after a Palestinian terrorist went on a stabbing spree. Arriving amid the stabbing attacks, Biden pledged total support for Israeli security.

A Pew study claims that 48 per cent of Israeli Jews want to expel Arabs out of the country, a senior IDF officer says Israel can “put Lebanon back 300 years” if Hezbollah chooses to attack, a group of Palestinians have launched a $34 billion (US) lawsuit against pro-Israel American business tycoons like Sheldon Adelson and Irving Moskowitz over their support of West Bank settlements, and a new plan proposed by liberal Israeli Jews to divide Jerusalem’s Arab and Jewish population is actually uniting them.

World: A 13-year-old Jewish boy was attacked in Paris en route to a local synagogue, a 16-year-old Danish girl is suspected of plotting an attack on a Jewish school in Copenhagen, Madrid’s mayor has joined the “Mayors against anti-Semitism” movement sweeping Europe, France will hold a soccer terror attack simulation ahead of EURO 2016 this summer, and German automaker BMW used its 100th anniversary to express its “profound regret” for collaborating with the Nazis during World War II.

Sports: TanenbaumCHAT grad Zach Hyman opened up to The CJN about making the NHL and playing for the Maple Leafs (he scored his first-ever goal yesterday), and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is apparently bidding on the rights for Thursday Night Football?

Health: The Jerusalem Post looks at the rising medical marijuana industry in Israel in a podcast aptly titled “Cannabis start-ups pave the way for the rise of a ‘Spark-Up’ Nation,” and the IDF is rolling out its new program to allow autistic soldiers to join the army.

Culture: Jewish folk hero Bob Dylan has announced a new album (and tour), fans of the late Joan Rivers will have the chance to buy items from her home at a New York auction, and an Israeli drag queen who lives in Berlin is joining the country’s tourism effort ahead of Tel Aviv Pride Week.

New Girl‘s quintessential token Jew Max Greenfield stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to do his impersonation of John Travolta (in character as Robert Shapiro):

Being International Women’s Day and all, here are twenty incredible Israeli women you need to know. Speaking of Israeli women, Gal Gadot did an interview with Glamour about Wonder Woman yesterday.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell met with former Israeli president Shimon Peres today, who bestowed her with the “Women Leading Change” award in honour of her work for women and communities.

U.S. Orthodox rapper D. Black, now known as Nissim, is finally an Israeli citizen:

American rapper D. Black, who converted to Judaism and now goes by the name Nissim, just became an Israeli citizen.Welcome home!

Posted by StandWithUs on Monday, March 7, 2016

 


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