Uncategorized
Boycotts Don’t Target Specific Israeli Policies – They Target Israel’s Existence
Anti-Israel demonstration supporting the BDS movement, Paris France, June 8, 2024. Photo: Claire Serie / Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect
It is fundamental that Israel should exist and boycotts of Jews and Israelis are unacceptable.
Why is it necessary for this sentence to even be spelled out?
I, and I suspect many others like me, thought that the ceasefire in Gaza would lead to a decrease in antisemitism and anti-Israel activities. Well, how mistaken we were.
The announcement of a ceasefire was followed by anti-Israel demonstrations in Italy, Australia, and other places. Sanctions on Israel are still considered by the EU. The EU and Great Britain do not seem to be particularly concerned with the rising antisemitism and boycott of Jews in their countries.
On the contrary, the British police justified why soccer fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv will not be able to attend games because British police cannot provide sufficient safety. It is shameful that Michael D. Higgins, the antisemitic president of Ireland, will be replaced by an even bigger antisemite who was just elected as the incoming president.
The pressure to impose punitive actions on Israel for accusations of war crimes and genocide are not tied to actual events. I remember seeing posters against “the Israeli genocide in Gaza” in Athens, Georgia, a few weeks after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and before the actual fighting in Gaza had started.
Why sanctions and boycotts should be imposed on Israel — not just on certain government members or officials, but also on trade, universities, and cultural events — is incomprehensible.
I suspect that under current conditions, the Israeli government would be targeted regardless of its composition, just like during the previous wars when the Labor Party was in power (you remember Golda Meir and Shimon Peres) and worldwide demonstrations were led against Israel. Tzipi Livni, a moderate who favored the two-state solution, could not travel to Great Britain because she was threatened by arrest as as “war criminal.” And this was in 2009, after one of the several “minor wars” with Gaza when she was foreign minister.
The United Nations, meanwhile, is only encouraging more actions against Israel. Accusing Israel of committing genocide and causing famine in Gaza when the data does not correspond to reality is a common practice, especially when the purpose is to blame solely Israel.
This is not to deny that the war resulted in many deaths, but two factors are either downplayed or not mentioned at all. First, Israel did not start and did not ask for this war. Second, Hamas made sure the death toll and the degree of destruction was as big as possible, using its own population as human shields and exaggerating data and statistics.
In recent days it became clear that there is no famine in Gaza. And yet, in a galling decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Court found that Israel is obligated to provide for all needs of Palestinians in Gaza and that UNRWA, an aid group known to be infiltrated by Hamas, must distribute the supply. Shouldn’t Hamas bear some responsibility for its own people, especially when it is in control of some of the territory?
And even now, the expectations are that Israel will stick to the terms of ceasefire even when they are violated by Hamas.
Whether the current ceasefire will lead to peace is uncertain, as Hamas refuses to give up its control over Gaza and so far has not accepted disarmament. It is very doubtful that the international force to be composed of members of armies from several Muslim countries, including Turkey and Qatar, will be willing to disarm Hamas.
And if Israel is required to disarm Hamas itself, their action will be followed by outrage from the predictable protagonists. The boycott calls will follow — and they will be just as despicable then as they are now.
Dr. Jaroslava Halper is a professor of pathology, emerita, at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. She escaped from communist Prague because of antisemitism, and lack of freedom and free speech. The gradual increase of antisemitism and anti-Zionism in certain circles in her second homeland, and the devastating October 7 massacre by Hamas, led her to realize that more active engagement is necessary to combat antisemitism, including anti-Zionism.
Uncategorized
Nigeria Seeks French Help to Combat Insecurity, Macron Says
French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Sept. 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Pool
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has sought more help from France to fight widespread violence in the north of the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, weeks after the United States threatened to intervene to protect Nigeria’s Christians.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has witnessed an upsurge in attacks in volatile northern areas in the past month, including mass kidnappings from schools and a church.
US President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of possible military action in Nigeria, accusing it of mistreating Christians. The government says the allegations misrepresent a complex security situation in which armed groups target both faith groups.
Macron said he had a phone call with Tinubu on Sunday, where he conveyed France’s support to Nigeria as it grapples with several security challenges, “particularly the terrorist threat in the North.”
“At his request, we will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations. We call on all our partners to step up their engagement,” Macron said in a post on X.
Macron did not say what help would be offered by France, which has withdrawn its troops from West and Central Africa and plans to focus on training, intelligence sharing and responding to requests from countries for assistance.
Nigeria is grappling with a long-running Islamist insurgency in the northeast, armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest and deadly clashes between largely Muslim cattle herders and mostly Christian farmers in the central parts of the country, stretching its security forces.
Washington said last month that it was considering actions such as sanctions and Pentagon engagement on counterterrorism as part of a plan to compel Nigeria to better protect its Christian communities.
The Nigerian government has said it welcomes help to fight insecurity as long as its sovereignty is respected. France has previously supported efforts to curtail the actions of armed groups, the US has shared intelligence and sold arms, including fighter jets, and Britain has trained Nigerian troops.
Uncategorized
Netanyahu Says He Will Not Quit Politics if He Receives a Pardon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the Iron Swords War on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem on Oct. 16, 2025. Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/POOL/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he would not retire from politics if he receives a pardon from the country’s president in his years-long corruption trial.
Asked by a reporter if planned on retiring from political life if he receives a pardon, Netanyahu replied: “no”.
Netanyahu last month asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon, with lawyers for the prime minister arguing that frequent court appearances were hindering Netanyahu’s ability to govern and that a pardon would be good for the country.
Pardons in Israel have typically been granted only after legal proceedings have concluded and the accused has been convicted. There is no precedent for issuing a pardon mid-trial.
Netanyahu has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in response to the charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and his lawyers have said that the prime minister still believes the legal proceedings, if concluded, would result in a complete acquittal.
US President Donald Trump wrote to Herzog, before Netanyahu made his request, urging the Israeli president to consider granting the prime minister a pardon.
Some Israeli opposition politicians have argued that any pardon should be conditional on Netanyahu retiring from politics and admitting guilt. Others have said the prime minister must first call national elections, which are due by October 2026.
Uncategorized
Report: Washington Hosts Trilateral Talks Between Israel and Qatar After Doha Strike
A Qatari flag is seen at a park near the Doha Corniche, in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Ibraheem al Omari.
i24 News – The United States, Israel, and Qatar convened a high-level trilateral meeting in New York on Sunday aimed at restoring strained relations following a controversial Israeli strike in Doha, Axios reports.
The meeting marks the highest-level engagement between the three nations since Qatar helped mediate the ceasefire that ended the war in Gaza. The talks coincide with the Trump administration’s plans to announce a new phase of the Gaza peace initiative.
The meeting is being chaired by White House envoy Steve Witkoff, with Israel represented by Mossad chief David Barnea and a senior Qatari official also participating, according to sources cited by Axios.
Tensions between the countries escalated after Israeli jets struck Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9. While the top Hamas figures survived, a Qatari security guard was killed, prompting Qatar to temporarily step back from its mediating role. The incident drew widespread Arab criticism of Israel and pressure on the United States to intervene. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later apologized to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at President Trump’s urging, allowing Qatar to resume its mediation role, though mistrust has persisted.
The New York talks are part of a US-proposed trilateral framework designed to improve coordination, resolve disputes, and strengthen joint security efforts. Sources indicate that Netanyahu is expected to raise concerns over Qatar’s alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood, critical coverage of Israel by Al Jazeera, and Qatari influence on American university campuses.
Despite these issues, the core focus of the discussions is expected to be the implementation of the Gaza peace agreement, including the disarmament of Hamas — a key element of the second phase of the plan.