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Israel is turning 75. For American Jews, planning the birthday party has gotten complicated.
(JTA) – Like many synagogues have done over time, Congregation Kol Ami in Seattle is partnering with local Israelis to celebrate Israel’s birthday — a big one this year.
But Kol Ami won’t be holding a straightforward celebration for Israel’s 75th. Instead, it’s working with UnXeptable, a group of expat Israeli activists who have been protesting for months against the Israeli government’s plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary, for what they are calling a “family gathering honoring Israel’s democracy.” There, congregants will study Israel’s Declaration of Independence then sign a new copy to “rededicate” it.
“Most cities are just going to do a pareve 75th anniversary of Israel and not recognize the emotional reality of a lot of Israelis right now,” said Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg, using the Jewish term for food that contains neither meat nor dairy — in other words, a safe option.
“We have all these people in our communities who are worried about their friends and family, and we’re just going to be folk dancing and eating falafel?” she asked.
Such is the dynamic at play as Israel celebrates a milestone birthday under the shadow of political and cultural turmoil that people on both sides of the judicial reform fight say could change the country’s character forever — and that has altered the relationship between American Jews and Israel.
Long hesitant to weigh in on Israel’s domestic affairs, many American Jewish groups and leaders, including rabbis, spent the past several months openly criticizing the country’s right-wing government for its effort to sap the power of the Israeli Supreme Court.
Now, with the judicial legislation on pause, many of those groups have turned their attention to Yom Haatzmaut, this year celebrated starting the evening of April 25, and the 75th secular anniversary of Israel’s independence on May 14. Jewish Federations of North America is supporting its 146 local federations in convening “Israel @ 75” programming, while synagogues of all denominations have planned an array of parties, study sessions and special events.
People gather to watch performers from the Independent Women Dance Troupe during celebrations marking Israel’s 73rd Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day) in New York City’s Times Square, April 18, 2021.(Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
The question facing all of them: With even Israel’s president warning of possible political violence, just how festive can this year’s birthday feel?
For Kinberg, the answer is clear: An uncomplicated party would be “sort of like celebrating the Fourth of July if we’re in the middle of a civil war.”
American Independence Day offers an instructive example for Rabbi Erez Sherman of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, too — but he has come to a different conclusion from Kinberg. He said his community celebrates Yom Haatzmaut the way most Americans mark the Fourth of July — without tailoring it to the current political headwinds.
“Are we going to spend it pointing at every challenge that Congress has?” he asked. “Or are we going to say, ‘This country is unique’?”
Temple Sinai is partnering with several local Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Pico Union Project and the Jewish Journal, for its weeks-long series of “Israel @ 75” events. Another sponsor is StandWithUs, a pro-Israel advocacy group that is involved in Israel-at-75 celebrations in several cities.
Together, the consortium will host concerts, history lectures, art exhibits and special Shabbat services — and even if the complicated present is expected to come up, it won’t be a focus.
“While we can understand challenges, there is also time for celebrations and birthdays,” said Sherman, who oversees Israel programming at his synagogue. “Israel is not perfect, but a world without Israel would be a lot less perfect than it is now.”
Thousands of Israelis protest against the planned judicial overhaul at the Azrieli junction in Tel Aviv, April 15, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
The balancing act has hit home this week for the umbrella group for North America’s Jewish federations, which is holding its annual convention in Israel next week — a plan that was set even before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reelected and formed his right-wing government last fall. UnXeptable called for the group not to feature Netanyahu, who has sworn to restart his push to pass the judicial reform measures. But Jewish Federations of North America rejected the call on Monday, saying that “the opportunity to hear from Israel’s duly elected president and prime minister is a symbol of Israel’s achievement.”
What’s clear is that American Jews interested in engaging with Israel on its 75th birthday will have no shortage of options, from food festivals, children’s carnivals and concerts to headier fare. Experts on Israel are in high demand, with packed schedules of live and Zoom events offering up seemingly unending choices for people with all levels of familiarity with Israel’s history and politics.
For some American Jewish leaders, some of whom have expressed concern about Israel engagement in their communities, the very density and diversity of the offerings is itself a win.
“That’s great that we are in a Jewish community that has so many different forms of expression,” said Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield, executive vice president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, a think tank that is organizing its own series of Israel-at-75 events that begins with a talk at New York City’s Central Synagogue titled “Dispatches from an Anxious Nation.”
For some Jewish communal organizers, celebrating Israel and discussing its future as a democracy go hand in hand, a dynamic eased by the landmark year and its invitation to hold multiple events.
In Cleveland, for example, the Jewish federation is mounting an “Israel Fest” headlined by a concert from the Shalva Band, a group of musicians with disabilities who appeared on an Israeli talent show. But the community is also hosting Israeli journalist Matti Friedman, who has been critical of the judicial reforms, as a guest speaker.
The federation is offering small grants to any Jewish Clevelanders looking to host their own Israel at 75 events, too, and is placing very few stipulations on their content.
If grantees want to use the opportunity to talk about the fight for Israel’s democracy or even debate matters related to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, they can, said Ilanit Gerblich Kalir, assistant vice president of external affairs at the federation. If they just want to host “blue-and-white-themed parties,” she said, they can do that too.
“We have to celebrate what we’re proud of Israel for. There’s a lot to be proud of,” Kalir said. “But at the same time, part of connecting with Israel and part of what’s going on is affected by this country right now.”
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Zara Announces Partnership With Designer John Galliano, Who Has History of Antisemitic Comments
A Zara shop. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Zara announced on Wednesday a two-year creative partnership with John Galliano, who was fired as creative director of the French fashion house Christian Dior after being caught on camera going on a drunken antisemitic rant in 2011.
Zara said the British fashion designer, 65, “will re-author the brand’s archives through a series of seasonal collections,” which will be released seasonally during the partnership that will begin in September. “Mr. Galliano will be working directly with garments from Zara’s past seasons, deconstructing and reconfiguring them into new seasonal expressions and creations,” the Spanish company added.
Galliano spent two seasons with Givenchy before taking over in 1996 as creative director of Dior, which he helmed for 15 years. He was the creative director of the Paris-based fashion house Maison Margiela for 10 years, from 2014-2024. He has won the British Fashion Designer of the Year four times.
In February 2011, Galliano was accused of accosting a couple at the Paris restaurant La Perle in the Marais district. The couple, a Jewish woman and her Asian boyfriend, said the British designer told them: “Dirty Jewish face, you should be dead” and “f–king Asian bastard, I will kill you.” The incident led to Galliano’s arrest.
After the incident, a video surfaced that showed Galliano, in the same restaurant, making antisemitic comments at patrons while drunk in October 2010. He also expressed admiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. “I love Hitler and people like you would be dead today,” he said. “Your mothers, your forefathers would be f–king gassed and f–king dead … you, you’re ugly.”
Dior fired Galliano in 2011 shortly after the video of his drunken antisemitic remarks were widely circulated. Galliano also faced a one-day trial in Paris, after being charged with “public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race, or ethnicity” related to the incidents in 2011 and the year prior. He was ordered to pay a fine equivalent to $8,500 for making the antisemitic insults, and damages to each of his victims as well as to five anti-racism groups who were also complainants.
Galliano claimed he has no recollection of making the offensive remarks and blamed his actions on drug and alcohol addiction. He also denied being an antisemite or racist, and apologized for “allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light.”
“I fully accept that the accusations made against me have greatly shocked and upset people,” the designer said in 2011. “I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people’s understanding and compassion.”
“I have fought my entire life against prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination, having been subjected to it myself,” he added. “In all my work my inspiration has been to unite people of every race, creed, religion, and sexuality by celebrating their cultural and ethnic diversity through fashion. Antisemitism and racism have no part in our society. I unreservedly apologize for my behavior in causing any offense.”
He told Vanity Fair in June 2013 that his antisemitic comments were “the worst thing I have said in my life.”
“But I didn’t mean it,” Galliano said. “I have been trying to find out why that anger was directed at this race. I now realize I was so f–king angry and so discontent with myself that I just said the most spiteful thing I could.”
He also apologized in his 2024 documentary, “High & Low — John Galliano.” He admitted in the film, “It was a disgusting thing, foul thing that I did. It was just horrific … I couldn’t recognize that person. I felt horrified. Ashamed. Embarrassed.”
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CAIR Sends Separate Letters to US Lawmakers Praising Democrats, Challenging Republicans on ‘Anti-Muslim Bigotry’
CAIR officials give press conference on the Israel-Hamas war. Photo: Kyle Mazza / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent Muslim advocacy organization that has been scrutinized by US authorities over alleged ties to terrorist groups, has sent two separate letters to Democratic and Republican congressional offices, calling on lawmakers to confront what it described as rising anti-Muslim rhetoric and to reaffirm commitments to religious freedom.
In its March 13 letter to Democratic offices, CAIR praised statements by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others who have spoken out against anti-Muslim hate, urging lawmakers to go further by pursuing formal censure actions against Republican members accused of making inflammatory comments.
In a separate letter to Republicans, the organization struck a more critical tone, calling on the party to reaffirm its support for religious liberty and to distance itself from rhetoric it says targets Muslim Americans.
“At moments like this, the voices of elected leaders defending constitutional values matter greatly. We encourage Democratic offices to remain vigilant in confronting anti-Muslim bigotry using the full range of congressional tools, including the pursuit of censure resolutions against Rep. Fine and Rep. Ogles,” the letter to Democrats read, referring to Republican Reps. Randy Fine (FL) and Andy Ogles (TN).
CAIR pointed to remarks attributed to several Republican lawmakers, including Fine, Ogles, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (AL), arguing that such statements contribute to a climate of hostility toward Muslims. Earlier this month, Ogles wrote on X that “Muslims don’t belong in America. Pluralism is a lie.” Meanwhile, Fine posted, “We need more Islamophobia, not less. Fear of Islam is rational.:
The organization also criticized the formation of the “Sharia-Free America” Caucus, claiming its policy proposals could infringe on the religious freedoms of Muslim Americans. The caucus, comprised of more than 50 Republican House members, declares that Sharia, or Islamic law, is a “direct threat to our Constitution and Western values and seeks to replace our legal system and erode our basic freedoms.”
At the same time, CAIR framed its appeal to Republicans within the party’s historical identity, invoking the “big tent” vision associated with Ronald Reagan. The group noted that Muslim American voters have, at times, supported Republican candidates, but argued that relationship has eroded in the years following the Iraq War.
The group warned that the “potential relationship between the Republican Party and American Muslim voters is rapidly deteriorating as anti-Muslim rhetoric from elected officials goes unchallenged by Republican leadership.”
CAIR’s criticism of political rhetoric comes amid renewed attention to the organization’s own history. Founded in 1994, CAIR has long denied allegations of links to extremist groups, but it has faced scrutiny over past associations. The group was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal prosecution related to the Holy Land Foundation trial, a case involving the largest terrorism financing conviction in US history. While that designation did not result in criminal charges against CAIR, it has been cited by critics as a point of concern.
In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced in 2008 that it would suspend formal cooperation with CAIR pending further clarity about such concerns. CAIR has consistently rejected allegations of wrongdoing, stating that it condemns terrorism and supports constitutional principles.
Critics have also pointed to past statements by some CAIR officials and the organization’s positions on US foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel and the Middle East, as evidence of ideological bias.
Supporters, however, argue that CAIR plays a significant role in defending civil liberties for Muslim Americans and documenting discrimination. Several high-ranking members of CAIR openly celebrated and defended Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, a terrorist attack that left over 1,200 dead and more than 250 hostages.
In January, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott formally designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations under state law, citing in part what officials described as longstanding ideological and operational ties with Islamist movements hostile to the US and its allies.
Abbott’s proclamation described CAIR as a “successor organization” to the Muslim Brotherhood and noted the FBI called it a “front group” for “Hamas and its support network.” The document also outlined the history of the organizations and their historical associations with figures and networks tied to Hamas, an internationally designated terrorist group.
“The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world,’” Abbott said in a statement while announcing the designations last month. “These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas.”
In December, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also signed an executive order designating CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist groups.
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Trump Hails Japanese Leader, Says Tokyo ‘Really Stepping Up to the Plate’ on Iran
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 19, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US President Donald Trump greeted Japan‘s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warmly at the White House on Thursday and said he believed Japan was “really stepping up to the plate” on Iran, unlike the NATO alliance.
Trump has lashed out at allies for their lukewarm support for the US-Israeli military campaign and said the US doesn’t need any help. However, he is still pushing for more ships to clear mines and escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, largely closed by Iran in the conflict.
Ahead of the meeting, Japan joined leading nations in Europe in a joint statement, saying they would take steps to stabilize energy markets and were ready to join “appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the Strait.
Trump hailed Takaichi’s election victory last month as “record setting” as he welcomed her at the Oval Office. He said they would “be talking about trade and many other things,” including Iran.
“We’ve had tremendous support and relationship with Japan on everything, and I believe that based on statements that were given to us yesterday, the day before yesterday, having to do with Japan, they are really stepping up to the plate … unlike NATO,” Trump said.
He said he expected Japan to step up given the support the US gave the country and the tens of thousands of troops it has stationed there.
“We don’t need much; we don’t need anything,” Trump said. “We don’t need anything from Japan or from anyone else. But I think it’s appropriate that people step up.”
Takaichi told Trump she had “brought specific proposals to calm down the global energy market” and said Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Takaichi condemned Iran‘s attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and said she believed only Trump could achieve peace. She also said the global economy was about to take a hit due to the turmoil in the Middle East.
At the same time, Takaichi said Tokyo had been reaching out to Iran.
Unlike Washington, Tokyo has diplomatic relations with Tehran, creating a potential avenue for diplomacy in any moves to end the war, although past attempts by Japan to mediate with Tehran in 2019 were unsuccessful.
JAPAN RELIES ON CRUDE OIL FROM GULF
Takaichi’s long-scheduled White House visit has been aimed at burnishing the decades-old security and economic partnership between Washington and its closest East Asian ally, but there have been concerns among Japanese officials that Trump will press her to do more than she is able to on Iran.
Takaichi has sought to move Japan away from a pacifist constitution imposed by Washington after World War Two, but with the Iran war unpopular at home, she has so far not offered to assist in clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier he would expect that Japan, which gets a large share of its crude oil supplies from the Gulf, would want to ensure its supplies are safe.
He told Fox Business Network Japan‘s navy has some of the best minesweepers and mine-detection capabilities and that he believed Japan would release more of its large petroleum reserve to supply the strained oil market.
Takaichi told the Japanese parliament on Monday Japan had received no official request from the United States on Iran but was checking the scope of possible action within the limits of its constitution.
Trump said a lot of his discussions with Takaichi would be about energy. Takaichi said they would discuss economic security in areas like energy and minerals.
Japanese officials said Takaichi hoped to remind Trump of the dangers posed by a regionally assertive China – especially to Taiwan – ahead of his planned visit there, which has now been pushed back from an earlier plan him to visit in two weeks.
On Wednesday US intelligence agencies created potential awkwardness for Takaichi when they said that remarks she made last year in support of Taiwan marked a “significant shift” for a Japanese leader.
Takaichi has maintained that her stance, which sent Tokyo’s relations with Beijing into a nosedive, was consistent with Japan‘s long-standing policy and Japan‘s government spokesperson said the US assessment was not accurate.
In the Oval Office, Takaichi said Japan was open to dialogue with China.
Japan expects Trump to ask Tokyo to produce or co-develop missiles that could help replace stocks of US munitions depleted by the Iran war and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Tokyo is still considering how to respond, Japanese government sources said.
Takaichi will also tell Trump that Japan intends to join the “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative that is meant to detect, track and potentially counter incoming threats from orbit, two Japanese government sources said.
She is expected to announce a fresh Japanese investment in Trump-approved projects in the US, from a $550 billion commitment made by the government to win relief from tariffs the US president imposed last year.
Japan could pledge some $60 billion as part of the second tranche of its investments spanning critical minerals and energy, said a person familiar with the plans, after already committing to three projects valued at $36 billion.