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Resolve and Optimism Between Yom Hashoah and Israel’s National Holidays
British teens placed pictures of Israeli hostages seized by Hamas on the train tracks leading to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the notorious Nazi death camp. Photo: JRoots
JNS.org – When I was debating whether to join a command course in the army, my late grandmother Esther told me, “In Auschwitz, we didn’t volunteer. We always tried to hide in the back.”
This advice was the expression of an extreme life experience, the days of hell in the Auschwitz concentration camp. But it also characterizes Jews throughout the generations, and that feeling of insecurity and instability as part of 2,000 years of persecution with the Holocaust as its most terrible and horrific manifestation. One of the great changes brought about by the establishment of the State of Israel was the opportunity to be a Jew with your head held high. These days, many sense that this feeling is eroding. But a historical perspective shows that we still can and should raise our heads proudly.
In 2024, in this period between Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) and Israel’s national holidays—Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron) and Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut), Israel and the Jewish people are in serious crisis. After months of war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the south and Hezbollah in Lebanon to the north, and weeks of anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish demonstrations on U.S. campuses and in various cities around the world, the feeling of persecution is hard to shake.
Indeed, recent surveys by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) reflect this all too well. JPPI’s monthly “Voice of the Jewish People” survey of American Jews found that in April, about 90% of respondents from across the political spectrum (from very liberal to very conservative) reported feeling that “discrimination against Jews has increased.” This follows data from previous surveys showing an increase in the sense of threat they feel as Jews in the United States.
A similar situation is clearly reflected in JPPI’s survey of Israeli society conducted a few days ago. There, for the first time, it was revealed that more Israelis (44%) are not confident in Israel’s victory in the war compared to the 38% who are. It also found an alarming decline in the number of Israeli Jews who are optimistic about the country’s future and their personal future as Israelis. Here in Israel—and there in the world’s largest Jewish community outside Israel—our spirit suffers.
Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah), when we face the absolute human evil directed specifically at the Jewish people, likely intensified these feelings. The narratives of those persecuted in the Holocaust echo in the present. Stories of survivors of the killing machinery of Europe reverberate in the stories of those who survived the Oct. 7 massacre.
The images coming to us from the United States—the place where Jews experienced a flourishing unprecedented in history—recall those from a century ago. Scenes of attacks on Jews and blatantly antisemitic chants remind many of the atmosphere in Germany in the 1930s, which culminated in the most terrible genocide of all. When traces of a horrible past can be found in the challenging present, it is clear why many feel despair.
But it is precisely the depths of the current crisis that require us to broaden our gaze, so that it accommodates both past and future. The blow we suffered on Oct. 7 was cruel and costly, in human life and in damage to Israel’s deterrence and national resilience. But it is very far from triumphing over us.
During the long years of exile and their nadir during the Holocaust, all the Jews could do in the face of violent pogroms was pray for a miracle and cry for help—a cry that mostly went unanswered. On Oct. 7, as soon as the extent of the attack by the Hamas butchers became known, civilians and soldiers headed south and fought back. Within a few hours, the Israel Defense Forces mobilized and within about 24 hours launched its counteroffensive. Although Israel’s image as an unshakeable power has taken a hit, its power and its strength are very much intact and robust. The IDF is still a formidable army. The Israeli economy is still sound. Israelis are still determined and able to defend their homeland. Despite the destruction, which requires thoughtful recovery, our situation remains better than it was across the many years of Jewish history.
The same is true outside Israel. It is true that antisemitism is rearing its head. The number of antisemitic attacks reported in Europe and the United States has exponentially increased in recent months. In several European cities, and unfortunately, also on some of the most prestigious American college campuses, Jews are afraid to display their Jewishness openly. And yet, these are still the exceptional cases that prove the rule. Throughout Europe and certainly in the United States, the Jews are a strong group in every sense, whose rights are recognized—chief among them the right to live in security wherever they are. True, we should be vigilant, and the fight against antisemitism should be determined and uncompromising. And yet, broadly speaking, the situation of Jews in the world is better than ever before.
Between Holocaust Remembrance Day and Israel’s national holidays, we need both resolve and optimism. If we thought that our enemies had given up their desire to expel us from the land, we have discovered once again, the hard way, that they are bloodthirsty and seek to destroy the Jewish state. But despite the darkness of our past, when there was no real Jewish sovereignty, and the challenges of the present, we are a strong people with a strong state. The indomitable Jewish spirit—together with the capabilities we have built—will safeguard our future. In these trying days, it is still possible and appropriate to raise our heads a little, and to take in a brighter horizon.
The post Resolve and Optimism Between Yom Hashoah and Israel’s National Holidays first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Azerbaijan a ‘Potential Bridge’ for Arab-Israeli Normalization, Jewish Leader Says
From left to right, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and Rabbi Marc Schneier. Photo: Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
Amid rising regional tensions, the idea of Azerbaijan joining the Abraham Accords overlooks its long-standing and often undervalued role as one of Israel’s most trusted allies in the broader Middle East, according to one of the country’s most influential Jewish leaders.
“I think discussions about incorporating Azerbaijan into the Abraham Accords are ridiculous and insulting,” Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, told The Algemeiner in an exclusive interview.
“Most people are clueless when it comes to understanding the dynamics of Muslim-Jewish relations, particularly between Azerbaijan and Israel,” Schneier added.
Signed in 2020, the Abraham Accords were a series of historic US-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries. Since then, Jerusalem has strengthened diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Bahrain, and Morocco, while also expanding defense and economic cooperation.
Azerbaijan’s ties with Israel have long been significant, with the country serving as the Jewish state’s most vital ally in the Caucasus and Central Asia for more than three decades, fostering a partnership that spans energy security, defense, and intelligence.
However, the depth of the relationship between Baku and Jerusalem is often overlooked, according to Schneier, who has worked with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and was among the first Jewish leaders to foster ties between Israel and Muslim nations.
During the first Trump administration, the Abraham Accords reshaped regional alliances, with experts suggesting that Azerbaijan could play a key role in balancing regional power blocs.
As a country sharing a lengthy border with Iran while maintaining strong ties with Israel and Turkey, the predominantly Shi’ite Muslim country holds a unique strategic advantage that could challenge Tehran’s influence and alter regional power dynamics.
“Azerbaijan plays a unique role in Israel’s broader strategy by serving as a potential bridge for normalizing relations between the Jewish State and other Muslim-majority countries,” Schneier told The Algemeiner.
He explained that Baku has contributed to regional normalization efforts in the past, notably by facilitating the restoration of full diplomatic ties between Turkey and Israel in 2022, even though the relationship between the two countries has since gone downhill.
According to Schneier, as a strong ally of both Israel and Turkey, Azerbaijan is well-positioned to mediate further diplomatic breakthroughs. Just this week, Azerbaijan hosted Turkish and Israeli officials for talks aimed at preventing potential clashes in Syria
In this regional context, the Jewish leader argued that Baku “serves as a paradigm for the greater Arab and Muslim world,” demonstrating that strong ties with Israel are possible despite historical tensions and religious differences.
“Azerbaijan plays a strategic role by positioning itself as a model for regional cooperation and independent foreign policy,” Schneier told The Algemeiner.
“Within the greater Muslim world, Azerbaijan serves as a beacon of interfaith dialogue and cooperation, setting an example for broader Muslim-Jewish relations,” he continued.
Baku’s strategic importance stems not only from its role at the crossroads of a growing pro-Western bloc countering the regional ambitions of Iran, but also from its economic influence in the region.
Azerbaijan and Israel have continued to expand their cooperation and strengthen their bilateral ties, especially in the energy sector, highlighting the predominantly Shi’ite Muslim country’s emerging role as a strategic player in the evolving Middle East.
Earlier this year, Jerusalem and Azerbaijan’s state oil company, SOCAR, struck a major energy deal. In March, SOCAR also signed a gas exploration license agreement with the Jewish state
As of 2019, Azerbaijan supplied over a third of Israel’s oil. Last year, Jerusalem was the sixth-biggest buyer of oil from Baku, with sales totaling $713 million.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has acquired advanced Israeli defense systems, including the “Barak MX” missile system and surveillance satellites, and remains a leading buyer of Israeli military hardware, which was crucial in its 2020 war with Armenia.
The post Azerbaijan a ‘Potential Bridge’ for Arab-Israeli Normalization, Jewish Leader Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran’s Navy Chief Compares Tehran to Israelites Fleeing Pharaoh Ahead of Passover
Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani. Photo: Screenshot
Ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover, Iran’s navy chief boasted that his country’s naval and defense power is stronger than ever, seemingly comparing Iran to the ancient Israelites and warning that enemies would be drowned at sea like Pharaoh’s army.
In an ironic twist, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani drew a parallel between Iran and the ancient Israelites enslaved by Egypt in the Exodus story, positioning Tehran as the modern-day victim of persecution.
In that biblical account, Pharaoh, fearing the growing Israelite population, enslaved them and even ordered the death of newborn boys. However, under God’s power, the Israelites, led by Moses, escaped Egypt. When Pharaoh’s army pursued them, driven by greed and fear, they were ultimately destroyed by the sea.
On Thursday, the Iranian commander praised Tehran’s naval strength and defense capabilities during a meeting with the families of the country’s 86th naval fleet, as tensions grow in the lead-up to nuclear talks with the United States.
“Our maritime power and defensive capabilities are stronger than ever,” Irani was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.
“Today, our enemies see the Islamic Republic’s armed forces and strategic navy as a superpower,” Irani continued. “The devil seeks a direct confrontation at sea, but with God’s help, we will defeat and drown it like the people of Pharaoh.” Other translations quoted him as saying Iran’s “enemies” will be defeated “just as Pharaoh was drowned.”
The apparent comparison was striking since Iranian leaders routinely call for Israel’s destruction, often describing the Jewish state as a “cancer” that must be wiped off the map.
Earlier this week, Tehran and Washington announced that diplomats from both countries will meet in Oman on Saturday to begin negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
US and Iranian officials have put out contradictory statements about whether the talks will be direct or indirect, the latter of which would involve Omani mediators passing messages between the sides.
As talks approach, Iran has warned that the country may suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog if external military threats persist, following US President Donald Trump’s renewed warnings of military action should Tehran fail to reach a nuclear deal.
“Continued external threats and putting Iran under the conditions of a military attack could lead to deterrent measures like the expulsion of IAEA inspectors and ceasing cooperation with it,” Ali Shamkhani — an adviser to the country’s so-called “supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — wrote in a post on X, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday that Trump wants Iran to know that there will be “all hell to pay” if it does not abandon its nuclear program, which Western countries believe is meant to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran claims its nuclear activities are purely for civilian energy purposes.
The negotiations will reportedly be led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, with Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr Albusaidi, serving as a mediator, as the country has long been a channel for communication between the two adversaries.
In response to the White House’s military threats, Iran issued notices to Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, and Bahrain, warning that any support for a US attack on Iran — including the use of their airspace or territory by American forces — would be considered an act of hostility.
During his first term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 nuclear deal — known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — between Iran and several world powers, which had imposed temporary limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Since then, even though Tehran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon, the IAEA has warned that Iran has “dramatically” accelerated uranium enrichment to up to 60 percent purity, close to the roughly 90 percent weapons-grade level and enough to build six nuclear bombs.
The post Iran’s Navy Chief Compares Tehran to Israelites Fleeing Pharaoh Ahead of Passover first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Passover BDS Referendum at Georgetown University Decried by Jewish Students
Anti-Israel activists protest at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Photo: Andrew Thomas via Reuters Connect.
The group Students Supporting Israel (SSI) at Georgetown University is imploring President Robert Groves to halt what they describe as an antisemitic outrage caused by the student government’s placing an anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) referendum on the ballot during the Jewish holiday of Passover.
A slim of majority of the Georgetown University Student Association’s (GUSA) senators voted via secret ballot for a resolution to hold the referendum on April 14-16, according to a report by The Hoya, the school’s official campus newspaper. It will ask students to decide whether they “support … divesting from companies arming Israel and ending university partnerships with Israeli institutions.” Many GUSA senators, however, withheld their support from the measure due to its being passed under a cloud of controversy.
The resolution only passed because GUSA senators, the Hoya noted, “voted to break rules” which require referenda to be evaluated by the Policy and Advocacy Committee (PAC), a period of deliberation which establishes their merit, or lack thereof, for consideration by the senate. At least one GUSA senator, Saahil Rao, has gone on the record to denounce the skipping of this key step as “secretive and rushed,” echoing concerns communicated by SSI in a letter sent to Groves that was shared exclusively with The Algemeiner.
“This referendum, cloaked in the language, represents not only a troubling overstep into Georgetown’s academic and fiduciary independence but also a campaign rooted in the discriminatory logic of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement,” said the letter, which has attracted support from members of the US Congress. “The process by which this vote was initiated raises further alarm. Reports of procedural irregularities, including a violation of student government rules, call into question the legitimacy of the referendum and risk setting a precedent where activist agendas bypass due process to achieve political outcomes.”
It continued, “More broadly, the passage of this measure would not occur in isolation. It would embolden future efforts to marginalize Jewish and Israeli students, deepen campus polarization, and risk fueling the disturbing rise in antisemitism seen at other institutions. Universities that have permitted such one-sided campaigns are now facing not only fractured communities and repetitional harm but growing federal scrutiny — including potential impacts to public funding.”
On Friday, Georgetown University sophomore and SSI leader Jacob Integrator told The Algemeiner that the BDS referendum undermines the common interests of the Georgetown community, as it has fostered the impression GUSA would violate procedural norms to alienate groups because of their shared ancestry. Alleged impropriety has already compromised the referendum’s integrity, he stressed, adding that GUSA’s holding it at a time when Jewish students will be unable to express their opposition at the ballot box is, in addition to being undemocratic, morally reprehensible.
“Georgetown SSI supports free expression by all campus groups,” Integrator said. “However, we believe that GUSA’s diverging from its standard procedures and the vote being held on Passover is not affording the Jewish community a fair and inclusive opportunity to engage in the process, voice concerns, and participate in shaping a decision that directly affects them.”
The Algemeiner has asked Georgetown University to provide a comment for this story.
Georgetown is one of 60 colleges and universities being investigated by the federal government due to being deemed by the Trump administration as soft on antisemitism and excessively “woke.” Such inquiries have led to the scorching of several billion dollars’ worth of federal contracts and grants awarded to America’s most prestigious institutions of higher education.
The Trump administration recently paused nearly $1.8 billion in combined federal funding to Cornell University and Northwestern University.
In March, it cancelled $400 million in federal contracts and grants for Columbia University, a measure that secured the school’s acceding to a slew of demands the administration put forth as preconditions for restoring the money. Later, the Trump administration disclosed its reviewing $9 billion worth of funding Harvard University, jeopardizing a substantial source of the school’s income over its alleged failure to quell antisemitic and pro-Hamas activity on campus following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel. Princeton University saw $210 million of its federal grants and funding suspended too, prompting its president, Christopher Eisgruber to say the institution is “committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.”
Brown University’s federal funding is also reportedly at risk due to its alleged failure to mount a satisfactory response to the campus antisemitism crisis, as well as its embrace of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movement — perceived by many across the political spectrum as an assault on merit-based upward mobility and causing incidents of anti-White and anti-Asian discrimination.
“Jewish students studying on elite US campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year,” US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement last month. “US colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by US taxpayers. That support is a privilege, and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post Passover BDS Referendum at Georgetown University Decried by Jewish Students first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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