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In the 1840s, a Jewish Outreach Effort Led to Real Change; It Can Happen Today
On February 5, 1840, the Jewish community of Damascus was rocked by an accusation that exploded onto the consciousness of the Levant and soon began to reverberate around the world.
An Italian priest, Padre Tommaso, and his servant Ibrahim Amara, had disappeared, and local Christians were quick to accuse the Jewish community of murdering them to use their blood for Passover—an accusation based on an ancient and baseless charge that Jews need gentile blood for the preparation of matzah for Seder night.
The local authorities in Damascus, then under Ottoman rule, immediately arrested several prominent Jews and subjected them to cruel torture to extract confessions. This incident, known as the Damascus Affair, plunged the Jewish community in Syria into a state of fear and despair.
The charges were completely unfounded, rooted in a long history of antisemitic blood libels designed to incite violence and hatred against Jews. Despite the spurious nature of the accusations, the situation grew increasingly dire as torture-induced confessions were used to justify further persecution, and the Jewish community faced widespread violence.
Padre Tommaso, a Capuchin friar who had been living in Damascus for many years, was known for his work as a physician, frequently interacting with the diverse communities of the city. Despite his professional engagements and spiritual calling, Padre Tommaso harbored intense anti-Jewish sentiments and had a long history of stirring trouble against the Jews. His sudden disappearance—and the fact that he was never seen again, neither dead nor alive—provided a convenient pretext for those seeking to incite further antisemitic fervor.
The role of the French consul in Damascus, Ulysse de Ratti-Menton, was particularly insidious. He played a pivotal and pernicious role in escalating the Damascus Affair, actively encouraging and supporting the accusations against the Jewish community and lending his official status and influence to validate the baseless charges. Ratti-Menton sanctioned the use of torture to extract confessions from the arrested Jews. His approval and encouragement of these brutal methods led to the forced confessions, which were then used to further incriminate the Jewish community.
As news of the Damascus Affair spread beyond the Middle East, the global Jewish community recognized the urgency of the situation. Among the most notable figures who rose to the occasion was Sir Moses Montefiore, the distinguished British Jewish philanthropist and communal leader. Montefiore coupled his devout observance of Judaism with a pragmatic understanding that achieving results required a strategic blend of faith, diplomacy, and advocacy.
Montefiore, together with Adolphe Crémieux, a French Jewish lawyer and president of the Consistoire Central Israélite de France, embarked on a diplomatic mission that took them to Alexandria and then to Constantinople, where they sought the intervention of the Ottoman Sultan.
Their primary goal was to ensure the release of the imprisoned Jews and to put an end to the baseless blood libel accusations. Montefiore leveraged his extensive network of connections, engaging with influential political figures such as the British Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, and key members of the French government. His diplomatic efforts brought significant international attention to the plight of the Jews in Damascus, highlighting the need for justice and protection.
Long before the advent of social media and live-streaming TV, Sir Moses Montefiore understood the power of public opinion. He organized petitions and mobilized Jewish communities across Europe, who rallied in support, sending letters and appeals to their respective governments, urging them to take action against the injustice being perpetrated in Damascus. Ultimately, Montefiore and Crémieux’s relentless efforts led to the release of the imprisoned Jews and a firman (royal decree) from the Ottoman Sultan, reaffirming the rights and protection of Jews under Ottoman rule.
Even Martin Van Buren, the eighth president resident of the United States, played a role in responding to the Damascus Affair. When news of the event reached America, due to Montefiore’s extraordinary efforts to get the truth out as widely as possible, the Jewish community in the United States sought governmental intervention. In response to a petition from the Jewish community, Van Buren instructed the US consul in Egypt, Colonel David Porter, to make representations to the Ottoman government in support of the persecuted Jews in Damascus.
The parallels between the Damascus Affair and what is happening right now in the aftermath of the October 7th massacre are too numerous and too obvious to ignore. Once again, the blood libel against Jews—falsely accused of genocide against Palestinians—has gathered pace and exploded onto the international consciousness.
Jews around the world are being punished for the perceived “crimes” of their coreligionists in Israel, and the knives are out for Jews everywhere. The glee with which antisemites have seized upon the anti-Israel narrative, while far worse crimes against humanity continue to blot the international scene, says more about the endurance of the world’s oldest hatred than it does about anything that Israel has done, now or ever.
But it is the lesson of Sir Moses Montefiore in the wake of the Damascus Affair that must inspire us all. The man who said, “Never be afraid to do what is right and just; we are not alone,” and “We must do our duty, and leave the rest to God,” understood that when everything seems to conspire against justice and truth, and when those who revel in lies and falsehood appear to have the upper hand—that is exactly the time when we must use our faith reserves along with every advocacy resource we have as the platform to fight back. God is truth, and God always prevails.
In Parshat Behaalotecha, we encounter the powerful verses of “Vayehi Binesoa Ha’aron,” which describe the journey of the Ark of the Covenant as the Israelites traveled through the desert (Num. 10:35): וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה קוּמָה ה’ וְיָפֻצוּ אֹיְבֶיךָ וְיָנֻסוּ מְשַׂנְאֶיךָ מִפָּנֶיךָ — “When the Ark set out, Moses would say: ‘Arise, God, may Your enemies be scattered; may Your foes flee before You.’”
These verses symbolize the divine presence guiding and protecting the Jewish people throughout their journey. According to Rashi, the preeminent medieval Jewish commentator, the scattering of enemies symbolizes the overcoming of obstacles and adversaries of the Jewish people through divine intervention.
Ramban (Nachmanides) adds, based on a passage in the Talmud, that these verses are like a separate book within the Torah, a reminder that God’s presence is central to Jewish success and survival, providing both physical protection and spiritual guidance.
Drawing from the strength of our heritage, and inspired by the enduring example of proactive faith and advocacy demonstrated by heroes like Sir Moses Montefiore, we must confront the challenges of today with renewed determination.
The lessons from Parshat Behaalotecha remind us that divine guidance accompanies those who believe in and pursue righteousness and justice, even when the world seems to have gone mad and abandoned reason. By standing united and maintaining our faith, we can ensure that truth and righteousness will ultimately prevail.
The parallels between the Damascus Affair and the current crisis facing Jews globally are striking. Once again, we are called to stand firm in our faith and advocate fiercely for justice as we suffer the torture of blood libels and inexplicable hatred.
The enduring power of “Vayehi Binesoa Ha’aron” teaches us that with divine guidance and proactive leadership, we can overcome adversity. And we will. Just as the efforts of Sir Moses Montefiore, like those of his illustrious namesake Moses, led to the triumph of truth and justice in the aftermath of the Damascus Affair, so too our united actions will ensure that we overcome the overwhelming challenges we face.
The post In the 1840s, a Jewish Outreach Effort Led to Real Change; It Can Happen Today first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Online Antisemitism Watchdog Group Blasts Kanye West for Exploiting Social Media to ‘Make Racism Cool Again’
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, dressed in a full black leather KKK outfit during his interview with DJ Akademiks that was shared on YouTube on March 31, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
The founder of a nonprofit organization that serves as the world’s first live database of online antisemitism said on Tuesday that Ye’s new song “Heil Hitler” is the rapper’s latest effort to “make racism cool again,” and criticized X for allowing the musician to promote Jew-hatred.
Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, the founder and executive director of CyberWell — which focuses on combating online antisemitism, especially on social media — railed against Ye (who changed his name from Kanye West) the same day the Yeezy founder posted on X the messages “FREE GAZA” and “All racist allowed into the Nazi party.”
The self-described Nazi released last week a song titled “Heil Hitler,” which is the greeting in praise of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler that is given as part of the Nazi salute. The song includes an audio clip of a German speech given by Hitler in 1935. A clip of far-right social media influencer Andrew Tate playing “Heil Hitler” in his car has garnered over 3 million views on X and was reposted by Ye, although the re-post has since been deleted.
On Wednesday, Ye shared on X a video of someone leaving a Chick-fil-A drive-thru on a motor vehicle while playing the “Heil Hitler” track, before parking in front of the fast food restaurant and continuing to play the song. The vehicle had a screen that showed the music video for Ye’s hateful song and the person sitting in the motor vehicle did the Nazi salute twice when a choir on the track sang, “Ni–a, Heil Hitler.”
“Ye’s latest hateful contribution to the world, the song entitled ‘Heil Hitler,’ is part of his unabashed campaign to make racism cool again,” Montemayor said. “By embedding Nazi glorification – including ‘All my ni–as Nazis, ni–a, Heil Hitler’ and quotes from a 1935 Adolf Hitler speech – in pop culture, Ye exploited the algorithmic charge and large reach of social media platforms to normalize and spread Jew-hatred to millions.”
“As a repeat offender, duping advertisers, the Super Bowl production, and abusing music and social media platforms, this moment should be met with swift and scalable action by all digital service providers with any Ye footprint,” Montemayor added. “But, most importantly, a succinct response is needed by the platform that has systematically granted Ye and other celebrity antisemites their largest audiences in the space — the platform formerly known as Twitter.”
Many others have previously criticized the Elon Musk-owned social media platform for not removing Ye from X because of his antisemitic actions. Earlier this year, Jewish actor David Schwimmer asked Musk, who acquired the company in late 2022, to ban rapper Ye from X because of his antisemitic comments and his decision to sell a shirt that features a Nazi swastika.
The groups Campaign Against Antisemitism and StopAntisemitism have both called on Musk to delete Ye’s account from X. StopAntisemitism said in part: “Ye has twice as many followers on X as there are Jews on earth. His obsession with us isn’t just deranged — it’s dangerous. Kanye is a deeply troubled man, but also a powerful one. Deplatform him before his violent rhetoric turns into violent action.”
Despite efforts by other social media platforms to ban the “Heil Hitler” song and music video, X has yet to delete the music video that Ye posted on his account last week. The clip has thus far garnered more than 9 million views.
In 2022, Ye was temporarily suspended from X when he made antisemitic remarks, but shortly after returned to the platform to share more hateful comments targeting Jews.
CyberWell works with leading social media platforms to identify and remove antisemitic content. Its artificial intelligence-powered technologies scan social media in English and Arabic for posts that promote antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and violence against Jews. CyberWell’s analysts review the harmful content and report it to platform moderators.
In regards to the song “Heil Hitler,” Spotify and SoundCloud have both removed Ye’s new track, but alternate versions and snippets of the song have been shared by Ye’s supporters and still appear on the platforms. The same is true on YouTube and Apple Music, where a Ye fan uploaded the song under the title “HH,” but it has since been removed. On Reddit, versions of the song were shared in subreddits dedicated to Ye and other rappers.
A Reddit spokesperson told NBC News the platform is actively working to remove uploads and posts related to the song. “Hate and antisemitism have absolutely no place on Reddit. We have strict rules against hateful content, “the spokesperson explained. “In line with our sitewide rules, we are removing the song and any celebration of its message.”
Meanwhile, comedian and actor Russell Brand shared the music video for “Heil Hitler” on his X account on Monday, and defended Ye in a post online and on his podcast last week. The host of “Stay Free with Russell Brand” said the song has “a good hook,” and that Ye is a “true artist” and “uncancellable.” Similar sentiments were expressed on X by far-right American political commentator Candace Owens.
Montemayor condemned several social media platforms for their inaction in removing Ye’s hateful “Heil Hitler” song, starting with X.
“While YouTube, Reddit, and TikTok made speedy and clear attempts to demonetize Ye’s accounts and remove the presence of the song at scale, X platformed this hatred for more than 6.5 million views,” she explained, before turning her attention to Facebook and Instagram. She said the Meta-owned social media platforms “failed to moderate this content and its reposted formats, despite clearly violating Holocaust-denial and distortion policies.”
“The comments sections, even to content condemning the song across social media platforms, has been rife with open Jew-hatred — another testament to the negligence of social media platforms to enforce their policies where they effect users most,” Montemayor added. “The response, or lack thereof, on the part of the social media platforms to this latest celebrity-led assault of hatred is a litmus test for how seriously they take the issue of antisemitism and platform safety. CyberWell will continue to assist our Trusted Partners in optimizing their response to Ye’s latest abomination with clear and expert antisemitism compliance guidance.”
The post Online Antisemitism Watchdog Group Blasts Kanye West for Exploiting Social Media to ‘Make Racism Cool Again’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Belgian Police Raid Mohels’ Homes in Antwerp, Sparking Outrage in Jewish Community
Police pictured at an Anderlecht supporters village at the Atomium, before the final of the ‘Croky Cup’ Belgian soccer cup, between Club Brugge and RSC Anderlecht, May 4, 2025. Photo: BELGA/HATIM KAGHAT via Reuters Connect
Belgian police raided the homes of several mohels in Antwerp, a northern Belgian city, seizing their circumcision tools after a local Jewish rabbi filed a complaint — an incident that has sparked outrage within the local Jewish community.
A mohel is a trained practitioner who performs the ritual circumcision in Jewish tradition known as a bris.
On Wednesday, Belgian authorities raided three locations in the Jewish Quarter, searching for knives and other equipment allegedly used in unauthorized or illegal circumcisions. However, local police confirmed that no arrests were made during the operation.
Among the homes raided by the Belgian police was that of Rabbi Aharon Eckstein, a highly experienced mohel and a prominent leader within the Antwerp Jewish community.
In an interview with the publication JNS, Eckstein said the raid took place around 5 am.
“They didn’t say much. They just looked through the place and took my kit,” the Jewish leader said.
He also expressed his intention to continue performing circumcisions, as he had not received any instruction to stop such practice.
According to a police report, the searches were ordered by a judge following a complaint filed in 2023 by Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Friedman against Eckstein and other mohels within the Jewish community.
Prosecutors have been investigating illegal circumcisions in the country since last fall, amid concerns from local authorities that Jewish circumcisions are being carried out by individuals without proper medical training.
In his complaint, Friedman accused six mohels, whom he identified to the police, of endangering infants by performing the metzitzah b’peh ritual, in which the mohel uses his mouth to suction blood from the circumcision area.
However, Eckstein and other rabbis, along with parents of children circumcised by them, have denied such accusations, insisting that they do not perform this practice.
In Antwerp, Friedman is known for publicly criticizing several customs that are important to ultra-Orthodox Jews, who represent the majority of the city’s 18,000 Jewish residents.
The European Jewish Association (EJA) condemned the government’s handling of the issue, claiming it threatens freedom of religion.
“This constitutes yet another red line crossed in the intimidation of Jewish religious figures in Belgium,” Rabbi Mencahem Margolin, chairman of the EJA, said in a post on the social media platform X.
“Following the ban on shechita [kosher ritual slaughter], the harassment of mohels represents a further red line and a clear warning sign to Belgian Jews and the Belgian government. Freedom of religion must be upheld!” he continued.
The European Jewish Association (EJA) strongly condemns the police raid on the Mohels’ premises in Antwerp this morning.
EJA Chairman, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, say that this constitutes yet another red line crossed in the intimidation of Jewish religious figures in Belgium.…— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) May 14, 2025
Despite several attempts to ban it across Europe, ritual circumcision remains legal in all European countries, though many, including Belgium, limit the practice to licensed surgeons and often perform it in a synagogue.
Last year, the Irish government arrested a London-based rabbi for allegedly performing a circumcision without the required medical credentials, marking the first arrest of a rabbi in Europe in years related to a bris.
The post Belgian Police Raid Mohels’ Homes in Antwerp, Sparking Outrage in Jewish Community first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Putin Has Invitation to Visit Iran, but Dates Have Yet to Be Set, Kremlin Says
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend a ceremony to sign an agreement of comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 17, 2025. Photo: Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin has an invitation to visit Iran, but the dates have not yet been agreed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
Iran‘s government spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani was quoted by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Tuesday as saying that Putin‘s visit to Iran “is currently being worked out.”
Moscow and Tehran signed a 20-year strategic partnership agreement in January, the two countries have supplied each other with weapons, and Russia has defended what it says is Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy.
“Indeed, President Putin has an invitation to pay an official or working visit to Iran. The dates have not yet been agreed. As soon as they are agreed, we will inform you,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about a possible visit.
“We highly value our partnership with this country and we highly value the depth of our relationship in a wide variety of areas.”
The last time Putin visited Iran was in 2022, months after he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
The post Putin Has Invitation to Visit Iran, but Dates Have Yet to Be Set, Kremlin Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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