Opinion
What Netanyahu is doing has even led our staid Jewish Federation to protest
By BERNIE BELLAN The story within the Jewish world that, of late, has been crowding out almost every other story of particular interest to Jews has been the determined effort by the Netanyhau government to emasculate Israel’s Supreme Court – and the fierce opposition that effort has engendered, not only within Israel, but within much of the Jewish diaspora as well.
Has there ever been a time when so many Jewish voices have been raised in criticism of an action undertaken by a government in Israel? Elsewhere on this website you can find a story (https://jewishpostandnews.ca/rss/pro-israel-stalwarts-miriam-adelson-and-noa-tishby-join-chorus-condemning-judicial-reforms-as-protests-enter-10th-week) about two staunch defenders of Israel also raising their voices in protest of what the governing coalition in Israel is doing. The fact that the nature of the opposition that has emerged as a result of the Netanyahu coalition’s dogged insistence on “judicial reform,” as it’s proponents like to euphemistically refer to what they want to do, is so widespread, has to be of concern to Jews everywhere. The reason I’ve selected that story – about Noa Tishby and Miriam Adelson criticizing the Israeli government, is because the credentials of both those two women as fierce defenders of Israel cannot be called into question.
What the current Israeli government is proposing to do is not only to control appointments to Israel’s Supreme Court, which until now have been the prerogative of the President of Israel – acting upon the advice of a Judicial Selection Committee, but to prevent the Supreme Court from overturning any legislation passed by the Knesset.
When you see someone like Miriam Adelson who, together with her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, were two of the foremost backers for Likud over the years, pouring millions of dollars into Likud campaigns – emerging as a critic of what is being proposed – well then, you have to realize that Netanyahu is really taking a chance on alienating some of his staunchest supporters.
While Myron Love may purport to be a fierce defender of anything that the right wing coalition currently in power in Israel may want to propose – and he has been turning to someone named Melanie Phillips to provide a kind of twisted reasoning for that defence, here’s something you should know about Melanie Phillips: Her columns can be found on the Jewish News Syndicate website which, by the way, is free for anyone to look at or subscribe. And do you know who have been the largest financial supporters of the Jewish News Syndicate? None other than Miriam Adelson and her late husband, Sheldon.
Sheldon Adelson also started a newspaper, “Israel Today” or “Yisrael Hayom” in Hebrew, which has been given away free ever since its inception, simply because he wanted to offer a counterweight to what he thought was the excessively liberal bias of Israeli media.
The lesson in all this is that, if you’re a journalist or a columnist, and you want to make some money writing about Israeli issues, the money will be there for you if you take a right wing slant. And, it’s not just individuals working in media that have found they can make money by adopting a right wing position when it comes to speaking out about Israel – there are a whole host of organizations and public relations firms that have found there is much money to be made by doing the same.
So, what are we to make of someone like Miriam Adelson coming out in criticism of the Israeli government for its anti democratic position when it comes to judicial reform? I wonder whether any of those many right wing columnists who are being paid by the Jewish News Service might be having second thoughts now, especially if one of the most prominent supporters of that news service has taken a position that is at direct odds with what almost everyone writing for that new service has been advocating?
As publisher of this newspaper I’m beholden to no one. Lately I’ve been asked many times why I continue to tolerate Myron Love’s extreme opinions? It’s not as if there’s any particular financial reward for this newspaper by continuing to carry what I myself dismiss for the most part as right wing zealotry on Myron’s part.
But Myron’s latest column in our print issue (not published on this website) is really over the top when he refers to another one of Melanie Phillips’ columns (taken from the Jewish News Syndicate) in which she justifies anything the Israeli government might do on the grounds that it represents the wishes of Israeli voters.
Do I need to remind anyone that the National Socialist Party in Germany also won a fully democratic election in that country in 1933 with only 33% of the vote and was able to take power as a result? Once in power, of course, the Nazis began the rapid emasculation of democratic institutions within that country, among which were the courts.
We have seen this played out in so many other countries, where an ostensibly democratically elected government begin either to dismantle or neuter democratically constructed institutions, especially courts, that were put in place by the founders of those countries to protect the citizenry from having their rights taken away by politicians who do not believe in democracy. We saw it with Donald Trump, with Jair Bolsenaro in Brazil, and we’re still seeing it with Narendra Modi in India.
To pretend that simply holding an election where a party or parties win enough votes – in whatever electoral system might be in place, is sufficient evidence that a country is democratic is either hopelessly naïve or it’s cynical to the extreme, when it is meant to serve as a justification for the trampling of the powers of the courts in a particular country.
I was glad to see that even the President and CEO of our own Jewish Federation here actually issued a criticism of what the government of Israel is doing in their most recent message to members of the community. Here, if you haven’t seen it already, is what Gustavo Zentner and Elaine Goldstine had to say in their message, which was issued on March 10, about what the Netanyahu government is proposing to do:
“Unfortunately, Israel has also seen an increase in polarization and tensions regarding proposed judicial reforms. This has sparked complex political debates that are taking place within Israel, and throughout the diaspora, with many of us concerned of how outcomes of these issues will affect our ties to Israel and Jews in the diaspora. While governments and policies change, our support of Israel remains steadfast. Yet, our strong bond and our love for Israel and its people has not stopped us from voicing our concerns regarding those policies, which have also been shared through our agency partners, as well as Jewish Federations of North America. In an open letter to the Government of Israel, our community highlighted that ‘the essence of democracy is both majority rule and protection of minority rights’ which is critical to the continued prosperity of Israel, its society, and people. We are monitoring the situation constantly and will continue to act accordingly.”
As well, you can read a story elsewhere on this site (Mike Bloomberg on Israel’s proposed judiciary reform) about what former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg had to say about what is going on in Israel, when he compared what will happen to Israel’s economy if the judicial reforms that are being proposed go through with what happened to Britain’s economy following Brexit.
Granted, most of us are still supportive of Israel – and we draw a distinction between what we see as Israel and the government that happens to be in power at any given moment, but when Israel is tipping toward becoming an autocratic theocracy, many of
us in the West – as well as a good many Israelis themselves, are disgusted. One wonders whether, if Israel’s economy does begin to suffer as a result of what the new government is doing, whether the religious parties in the coalition will be willing to absorb cuts to the financing of their religious schools as a result? Hardly likely.
Speaking of cuts in Israel, I was made aware of something that has happened in that country as a result of a story we published last issue about Miles Guralnick, who was trying to raise money for Parkinson’s research by collecting donations for a run he will be doing on March 17.
In that article, I wrote that Miles was a medical student in Israel. I was corrected by his mother, Rebecca Guralnick. (By the way, Miles’ wife’s name is also Rebecca – daughter of Jack and Belva London. Talk about confusing.) Apparently Miles would like to enter into Medicine, but if he does, it won’t be in Israel. Rebecca Guralnick explained to me that foreign students are no longer able to enroll in Israeli medical schools. I checked – and that is indeed the case as of September 2022. It turns out that Israel is suffering from a doctor shortage – the same as so many other countries around the world, and because many students from outside Israel had studied medicine there through the years, but had left Israel to return home – or practice elsewhere, the Israeli government had decided not to allow foreign students to enroll in medical schools there any longer.
I also looked into the nursing situation in Israel – out of curiosity. It turns out that Israel is suffering from a nursing shortage as well. I don’t know if you’re as surprised to learn that as I was. I suppose I was labouring under the misconception that Israel had a first-rate medical system, including plenty of doctors and nurses. Maybe that was once the case, but it appears it’s not the case any more.
So, while there is still much to admire about Israel, there is also a great deal that leaves me shaking my head – wondering where Israel is headed. And, as I’ve noted many times previously, with Winnipeg having become a prime destination for many Israelis intent on leaving that country over the past 20 years, one wonders how many more Israelis might be thinking about leaving as well – and coming to Winnipeg?
Local News
Is It Alberta’s Turn to Regulate Online Gambling? Looking at the Possibilities
Online gambling and betting in Canada is booming, with each province allowed to regulate its own space. Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, turned two this year after leading the way in April 2022. In what should motivate Alberta and other provinces, Ontario is already reaping the rewards, generating $100 million annually in gambling revenue. Will the local administration in Alberta do what is needed?
Talks have been rife that Alberta is considering going the Ontario way by having an open-licensing system. In July 2023, the minister for Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally, issued a mandate to make this province a hub of online sports betting and gambling.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith recently asked Nally to cooperate with indigenous partners and other stakeholders to develop an online gaming strategy. The main focus will be on revenue generation and responsible gambling. In light of this, Nally said Alberta’s primary focus is becoming a “leading hub for iGaming” with streamlined regulations and low corporate taxes. Such conditions should position Alberta to become a leading iGaming destination.
A few weeks ago, the minister attended the ICE international gaming conference held in London. Together with Ontario’s Attorney General, Doug Downey, and other stakeholders, Nally participated in a roundtable discussion regarding the status of iGaming in Canada. CDC Gaming Reports also revealed that the discussion highlighted the success of iGaming in Ontario and how Alberta can emulate this success story.
Looking into the Alberta Budget 2024, it’s evident that state monopoly could soon give way to Canadian casinos to thrive in the province. Alberta took the first baby steps towards a more liberal gambling sector after setting aside $1 million for gambling. This budget will support the looming review of the Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Act and supporting Regulation. The idea is to review the entire regulatory framework to find more funding ways for Alberta charities and community projects.
Major operators like BetMGM, PointsBet, and PokerStars have since hired lobbyists to ensure commercial operators become a reality in Alberta. Speaking to investors and industry analysts in March this year, PointsBet CEO Sam Swanell tipped Alberta and British Columbia to legalize online betting soon. He noted that this could provide the much-needed expansion of that TAM.
Alberta is yet to take full advantage of online gambling despite being the country’s fourth-largest province, with around 4.3 million people. Smaller markets in North America, such as West Virginia and Connecticut, are already benefiting from commercialized online gambling. The good news is that noises about legal online gambling are getting louder in Alberta. It’s just a matter of when the government will make the announcement.
What Next for Online Gambling and Betting in Alberta?
Including a $1 million gambling review budget is definitely a step in the right direction. However, there’s still much to do to end Alberta’s long-standing gambling status quo. But at least the budget opens the door for further discussions and reforms regarding iGaming in Alberta. That discussion has been underway, although the momentum has increased in the last year or so.
As it stands, PlayAlberta.ca is the only regulated online gaming platform in Alberta. It’s a government-run website operated by the AGLC (Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis). Besides casino games, this website provides sports betting and lottery-style gaming experiences. The legal sign-up age on PlayAlberta.ca is 18 years.
For Albertans who prefer more gambling freedom, the government doesn’t restrict anyone from joining offshore operators. Most gaming sites operating in Alberta are licensed in Curacao, the UK, and Malta. Compared to PlayAlberta.ca, these websites provide a more extensive variety of games, rewards, and general experience.
In conclusion, it’s just a matter of when Alberta will introduce an open-licensing market. This approach has proved to be a success elsewhere, especially in Ontario. A recent Ipsos report in Ontario revealed that only 13.6% of the residents prefer to gamble on offshore websites. Alberta could soon follow this path, although there’s much work to do to realize this dream.
Opinion
Hamas savages make no distinction between Israeli Jews, Arabs
By MYRON LOVE I remember many years ago attending a presentation by Simon Wiesenthal, the world’s leading Nazi hunter, during which he made the point that the focus of Holocaust education should not be on the number six million – the number of estimated Jews who were murdered – but rather on the 12 million martyrs – including other targeted groups such as the Roma, people who were gay, the mentally and physically handicapped and the many great many Slavic people who were also murdered. After the Jews, the Slavs were next on the list.
By focusing strictly on Germans killing Jews, he observed, it became too easy to make it out to be only Germans versus Jews – thereby making it easier for Holocaust deniers and absolving the other European peoples who were complicit in the killings.
Similarly, while we naturally mourn our Jewish brethren who were so horribly slaughtered on October 7, we need to also bear in mind that Hamas made no distinction in its murderous rampage between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs or between Israelis and foreign workers.
In a posting for The Gatestone Institute on November 30, Israeli-Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh noted that he Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel on October 7 did not slaughter Jews alone. The terrorists also murdered and kidnapped scores of Muslim citizens of Israel, including members of the Bedouin community. The terrorists’ murder spree made zero distinction between young and old, Muslim and Jew.
“Scores of Arab Israelis were wounded, murdered or taken prisoner,” he reported.
One such brave individual was 23-year-old Awad Darawshe, an Arab-Israeli paramedic who was on duty at the music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, which was among the first locations under attack. When the medical staff on site were ordered to flee, he insisted on remaining behind to treat the wounded.
Abu Toameh suggests that the paramedic thought that because he was Arab, he could reason with the killers. He was murdered nonetheless.
Another courageous Arab-Israeli that the writer noted, 50-year-old Abed al-Rahman Alnasasrah, was murdered by Hamas terrorists when he attempted to rescue people from the music festival. He was married and a father of six children.
Fatima Altallaqat, 35, from the Bedouin village near Ofakim, was murdered while working with her husband near the city of Ofakim in southern Israel. She was a mother of nine children, the eldest nine years old.
Abu Toameh quotes her husband as saying: “We’re a religious Muslim family and she wore the traditional headdress of a devout woman. It is inconceivable they [Hamas terrorists] could not see who was inside [the car]. They were five meters away from her as they passed.”
Forty bullets were fired into her.
Abu Toameh further cites the comments of Suleiman Zayadneh, brother and uncle, respectively, to four of the Arab-Israeli hostages, who describes himself “as proud to be a Palestinian and Muslim”.
‘The people who came to shoot and kill — they know nothing of religion,” the writer quoted Zayadneh as saying. “These [Hamas] people came and killed left and right.”
Abu Toameh went on to reference the words of Nuseir Yassin, a video blogger with 65 million followers. Two days after the massacre, he wrote: “I realized that… to a terrorist invading Israel, all citizens are targets. More than 40 of them [the murdered] are Arabs. Killed by other Arabs. And I do not want to live under a Palestinian government. Which means I only have one home, even if I’m not Jewish: Israel…. So from today forward, I view myself as… Israeli first. Palestinian second. Sometimes it takes a shock like this to see so clearly.”
Abu Toameh reported that “there have been many storie about reciprocal inter-communal generosity and heroism in the aftermath of this national tragedy, and they create hope for the future”.
He quoted a statement by the Darwashe Family:
“We are very proud of Awad’s actions… This is what we would expect from him and what we expect from everyone in our family — to be human, to stay human and to die human.”
Abu Toameh also quoted Ali Alziadna, four of whose family members were kidnapped, as saying that he was “touched by the outpouring of support” by other Israelis.
“People from all over the country have come to hug and support our family,” Alziadna said. “The entire nation is one family now.”
Abu Toameh pointed out that many Arab citizens of Israel serve as IDF officers and policemen, risking their lives for their fellow Israelis. Many are serving at the front lines, saving lives.
Undoubtedly, Abu Toameh suggested, one of the objectives of the Hamas massacre, in addition to slaughtering as many Israelis as possible, was to thwart normalization between Israel and Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia. Hamas may also have aimed to damage relations between Jews and Arabs inside Israel.
”The terror group was, without doubt, hoping that we would witness another cycle of violence between Jews and Arabs inside Israel, similar to that which erupted in May 2021,’ Abu Toameh posited. “Then, Hamas succeeded in inciting a large number of Arab citizens of Israel to take to the streets and attack their Jewish neighbors and Israeli police officers.
“This time, however, the Arab-Israelis have not heeded the calls by Hamas. One reason is that Arab-Israelis saw, with their own eyes, how Hamas terrorists make no distinction between Jews and Muslims.
“Hamas has repeatedly demonstrated that it cares nothing for the well-being of Arabs and Muslims. From their luxury homes and hotel rooms in the safety of Qatar and Turkey, Hamas leaders give the orders to attack Israel and then sit back and let the world weep over the destruction they wrought upon their own people.
“On October 7,” Abu Toameh concluded, “Hamas metaphorically shot itself in the foot by showing the world, with unfathomably ghoulish pride, by way of Go-Pro cameras and other self-documentation, that it has neither a religious nor a secular-humanist set of values. Perhaps the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip should look at the Arab citizens of Israel and note how they enjoy equal rights, democracy, freedom of speech and a free media. If Palestinians wish to live well, like the Arab-Israelis, this is the time for them to get rid of Hamas and all the terror leaders who, for seven decades, have brought them nothing but one disaster after another.”
It is too bad that so many gullible fools in our Western societies refuse to open their eyes to the truth.
Opinion
An Arab Trusteeship Council for Gaza
By Prof. BRYAN SCHWARTZ Oct. 17, 2023 (Originally posted to The Times of Israel)
1 No peace is possible with Hamas. It is genocidally antisemitic. This position is foundational, not rhetorical or mutable. Waiting for the emergence of a “pragmatic” version of Hamas is suicidally naïve.
2 Peace and cooperation are possible with most of Israel’s non-Iranian neighbours. They are militarily threatened by Iran, not Israel. For many in those countries, Iran’s version of Islam might be more problematic from the religious perspective than Israel’s Jewishness.
3 Hamas’ attack was partly to prevent a Saudi deal and a long-term economic cooperation
4 Israel has no territorial claim to Gaza and no material, religious, or ideological interest in running it.
5 Israel has vital moral and material interests in the emergence of a peaceful, demilitarized, and prosperous Gaza. If that can occur in the medium term, a long-term reconciliation of the Palestinians with Israel is achievable.
6 As and when Hamas is evicted from power, Gaza will need some new form of government.
7 The Palestinian authority probably cannot be trusted to take over Gaza. It is corrupt and lacked- and probably still lacks- credibility with a majority of the population in Gaza.
8 There used to be a concept called trusteeship in international law, whereby foreign powers would govern a territory in its best interests until its final status is clarified at the wishes of its own people.
9 The United Nations cannot be trusted to administer Gaza – any more than it has shown to be trustworthy to maintain strategic security in Southern Lebanon or to operate UNWRA in a manner that is effective for Palestinians and not hostile to Israel.
10 Consider this alternative. After Hamas is evicted from power, there is an interim period- say five to seven to ten years -of governance over Gaza by an Arab trusteeship council. The Council members are appointed primarily by Arab states sympathetic to Israel and eager to see the people of Gaza thrive. This Council could include local Gaza representatives and a representative of the Palestinian Authority but the majority would be representative of states like Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
11 The trusteeship agreement would be formal, agreed to by Israel, and unequivocally state its objectives, including:
-demilitarizing Gaza;
-defining the sole purposes for which outside reconstruction and development money can be spent and requiring strict accounting
-ensuring that the education system in Gaza is not contaminated by antisemitic hatred;
-promoting sound administration of Gaza, including providing for transparent and non-corrupt government, with significant safeguards for human rights, and conformity to the rule of law;
-promoting the development of a real economy for Gaza, not one fuelled primarily by international subsidies.
13 No state could participate in the Council without having a peace agreement with Israel.
14 In fact, the creation of the Council and Saudi participation in it could be part of a peace deal with Saudi Arabia. The deal could involve a reconstruction package from the Saudis for Gaza, which would help secure the support of the people of Gaza for the Council arrangement as an interim measure.
15 Policing would be carried out by a force composed of Palestinians and members of the police forces of Trusteeship states, under the direction of the Council.
16 The net effect would be to remove Gaza from Iran’s influence and establish temporary control by a consortium of mostly Sunni states. The latter would be chosen from among those that are at least reasonably friendly to Israel and genuinely committed to good governance in Gaza.
17 The definitive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict can only be achieved in a series of steps. Compromises are even more painful if they are framed as permanent. But if practical peace, stability, and some prosperity can be achieved in the medium term in Gaza and the West Bank, an amicable and enduring resolution should be achievable with the Palestinians.
18 While Israel is under severe military menace right now, it is not too early to think about how a positive political outcome can be achieved after the necessary and painful battle is concluded.
19 The current catastrophe is a so-far successful attempt by the regime in Teheran to disrupt peace negotiations involving Israel, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. Political vision along with military force might enable Israel to turn around the situation and complete and consolidate a lasting peace with almost all of its Arab neighbours and to set the stage for a formal and enduring peace with the Palestinians. The Teheran regime would be isolated, diminished in prestige, and more likely to be replaced from within.
About the Author
Bryan’s Jewish-themed musical “Consoulation: A Musical Mediation” premiered in the Spring of of 2018; https://consoulation.com His new album will appear in the coming months. Bryan Schwartz graduated with a doctorate in law from Yale School and holds an endowed chair at the University of Manitoba Law School. He is the author or editor of over thirty books and collections of essays. Bryan also created and helps to deliver an annual summer program at Hebrew University in Israeli law and society. He has served as a visiting Professor at both HU and Reichman university. . As a practising lawyer, Bryan has argued a number of cases at the Supreme Court of Canada, advised governments, and served as an arbitrator at the provincial, national and international level.
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