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Algemeiner Publisher Simon Jacobson: ‘Times Like This Define Who’s Standing Up for Moral Clarity’
The Algemeiner’s publisher and chairman Simon Jacobson speaking at the 11th annual “J100” gala in New York City on Jan. 14, 2025. Photo: FotoBuddy
At The Algemeiner‘s 11th annual “J100” gala on Tuesday night, publisher and chairman Simon Jacobson issued a call for action.
“We’re living in historic times. Events that are happening now are not just going to shape today, tomorrow, but the entire future,” Jacobson said during the event in New York City. “Every one of us senses it, whether it’s events, the different countries around the world, leaderships in crisis, but especially, which is close to our hearts, the Middle East, Israel, the Jewish people.”
Jacobson continued, “So, as chairman of The Algemeiner, I feel especially honored that we are part of making history because it’s times like this that define who’s standing up for moral clarity amidst all the confusion, for values that we all cherish, that are the foundations and the basis of all civilization. That’s the time we’re in, literally every day.”
Describing three types of people — those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask “what happened” — Jacobson said “all of you right here and The Algemeiner, are people who make things happen. We don’t just stand at the sidelines and react but are pro-active. This is the time.”
The post Algemeiner Publisher Simon Jacobson: ‘Times Like This Define Who’s Standing Up for Moral Clarity’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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New Play About Establishment of Israel During Truman’s Presidency to Make World Premiere Off-Broadway in October
US President Harry Truman receives a menorah gifted by visiting Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and Abba Eban, Israel’s envoy to Washington. Photo: National Photo Collection of Israel / Government Press Office
A play about the creation of the Jewish state during the administration of US President Harry Truman is set to make its world premiere Off-Broadway in New York City in October.
From playwright Willian Spatz and director Randy White, “Truman vs. Israel: Abzug and the Undressing of Truman” will play at the Theatre at St. Clements with a preview on Oct. 9 before officially opening on Oct. 16. Its limited run will end on Jan. 4, 2026. The play is produced by Greenhouse Theater Center
“President Harry S. Truman’s unlikely rise to power led to one of history’s most pivotal moments: the founding of Israel. In [the play] he faces the sharp mind and relentless questioning of trailblazing lawyer Bella Abzug, as the truth behind one of his most consequential decisions comes to light,” reads a synopsis of the play provided by Playbill. “This gripping new play strips away the layers of legacy, power, and politics to reveal the man behind the presidency. Smart and provocative — this is history in the hot seat.”
The cast includes Willy Falk, who will play Truman, Sasha Eden, as Bella Abzug, Matt Caplan and Mark Lotito. Falk created the role of Chris in the original Broadway production of “Miss Saigon.” He has also appeared in the plays “Les Misérables” and “Marilyn,” and recently in the HBO series “And Just Like That….”
“Truman is just a compelling character,” White said in a statement cited by Playbill. “A man at the center of so many consequential decisions, and getting it from all sides. But claiming to have no regrets. So, when a young Bella Abzug shows up – eager to make her mark as a young lawyer – the interrogation begins. ‘Truman vs. Israel’ is like a fabulous (in all senses) and riveting first draft of history.”
In 1947, Truman supported the idea of partitioning what was then known as the Palestine Mandate under British administration into Jewish and Arab territories. On May 14, 1948, Truman was the first world leader to officially recognize Israel as a legitimate Jewish state, only eleven minutes after David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel.
Abzug was a Jewish lawyer from the Bronx, New York, and a Columbia Law School graduate who served three terms in the US Congress, where she introduced and supported legislation about economic and military aid to Israel. She was the first Jewish woman to be elected to the House of Representatives and fought heavily to reverse the 1975 UN resolution that defined Zionism as a form of racism. The resolution was eventually revoked in December 1991.
When she was younger, as part of the Zionist youth group Hashomer Hatzir, Abzug helped raised money to build a Jewish state in the land of Israel. One of her fundraising tactics was to lecture about Zionism at New York City subway stops, according to the Center for Israel Education.
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Shawn Mendes Calls Out Antisemitism Amid Israel-Hamas War During Concert in Portugal
Shawn Mendes poses on the red carpet for the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards at Manchester Co-op Live in Manchester, Britain, Nov. 10, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mina Kim
Canadian singer Shawn Mendes said during his concert on Thursday night at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, that the suffering Palestinians are facing in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war is not an excuse for targeting Jews with hatred.
“What’s been happening in Gaza has been absolutely breaking my heart, and turning pain and suffering into hatred towards Jewish people as a whole is wrong,” the Grammy-nominated artist told the audience at his show. “Turning pain and suffering into hatred, period, is wrong and it’s not the way.”
“I really believe in our generation,” added Mendes, who is Portuguese. “I feel like it’s our generation’s job to learn from the wisdom of our parents and grandparents but also learn from the mistakes of those generations. The future is truly in our hands and I feel like it’s our responsibility to stop these cycles of pain and to choose love.”
Mendes is not Jewish and this is seemingly the singer’s first time speaking out about antisemitism and the Israel-Hamas war.
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US Revokes Palestinian Officials’ Visas Ahead of UN Meeting, State Dept Says
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas looks on as he visits the Istishari Cancer Center in Ramallah, in the West Bank, May 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Torokman
The US is denying and revoking visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, the State Department said on Friday.
The department did not name the officials targeted. It was unclear whether Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is planning to travel to New York to deliver an address to the late September gathering, was included in the restrictions.
The Palestinians’ ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, told reporters that they were checking exactly what the US move means “and how it applies to any of our delegation, and we will respond accordingly.”
Abbas’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US restrictions follow the imposition of US sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization in July, even as other Western powers move toward recognition of Palestinian statehood.
In a statement, the State Department said that “it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace.”
Officials with the Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in much of the West Bank, reject that they’ve undermined peace prospects.
Under the 1947 UN “headquarters agreement,” the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York. But Washington has said it can deny visas for security, terrorism, and foreign policy reasons.
The State Department said that the Palestinian Authority’s mission to the UN would not be included in the restrictions. It did not elaborate.
Close US allies Canada, Britain, Australia, and France in recent weeks announced or signaled their intention to recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly meeting.