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Jewish Community Mourns the Loss of Barry and Honey Sherman
On Saturday FSWC joined the Jewish community in expressing heartfelt condolences to the Sherman family and their loved ones following news of the tragic deaths of Honey and Dr. Barry Sherman, two extraordinary individuals who were among the community's philanthropic giants.
"There are no words for the grief we all feel by this incredible tragedy. Honey and Barry were unparalleled leaders in the Toronto Jewish and wider community. They were stalwarts of support and vocal advocates for our mission. They were passionate supporters of Israel and major donors to the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem. Their loss and friendship on a personal level is incalculable," said Avi Benlolo, FSWC President and CEO.
Petition Demands the UN Put an End to Blacklist Campaign Against Israel
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is planning to release its database blacklisting over 150 Israeli and international companies doing business in Israel and operating in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. It's time to stand up against this ongoing anti-Israel campaign. FSWC launched a community-wide petition calling upon the UN and its member states, including Canada, to end the blacklisting campaign. Show your support by signing the petition today.
If you haven't done so already, don't forget to make your yearly charitable contribution! Provide your support to Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center today. All donations made by the end of the year will receive a 2017 tax receipt.
Twitter to Put Warnings on Swastika and Other Hate Images
Today Twitter announced that it would begin putting warnings on images that include swastikas and are deemed hateful, as well as ban any profile photos that include swastikas and remove tweets that celebrate violence or glorify individuals who commit violence. This is just one of the steps Twitter is taking to crack down on white nationalists and other hateful groups that have used the platform to spread messages that promote violence and hate.
US Vetoes UN Call for Trump's Jerusalem Decision to Be Withdrawn
An Egyptian-drafted resolution calling on the UN to have President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel withdrawn was vetoed today by the US - reportedly the first veto cast by the US in the Security Council in more than six years. Fourteen of the other council members voted in favour of the resolution.
German State Prosecutors Reviewing 9 New Nazi War Crimes Cases
Nine new Nazi war crimes cases have been turned over to state prosecutors in Germany to determine whether there's enough evidence to lay charges. Most of the suspects - who worked as camp guards at concentration camps, including Auschwitz - in these cases are in their early to mid-90s. In past cases, guards have been persecuted after prosecutors proved they were present and helped camps functions while killings took place.
Iraqi Jewish Community Fighting for Access to Historical Documents
After discovering a trove of Jewish documents in Iraq in 2003, American soldiers brought the items to the US to be restored. The US has since announced that the historical collection will be returned to Iraq - a decision that much of Iraq's former Jewish community, most of whom made their way to Israel around 1950 due to expulsion, is protesting. The current Jewish population in Iraq sits at reportedly seven or less.
Investigation Reveals How US Derailed Campaign Targeting Hezbollah's Criminal Activities
According to a POLITICO investigation, the Obama administration had derailed a law enforcement campaign targeting Hezbollah - which investigators believed was collecting $1 billion a year from drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities - in its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran. For eight years, agents working out of a DEA facility mapped Hezbollah's illicit networks. However, as campaign leaders sought approval for investigations, prosecutions, arrests and financial sanctions, the US Justice and Treasury departments reportedly delayed, hindered or rejected the requests.
From the Arab World
Abdulhameed Hakeem, a Saudi academic who is the head of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies in Jedda, recently voiced his support for US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during an interview on Saturday. He called on Arabs to "recognize and realize that Jerusalem is a religious symbol to Jews and sacred to them" and stated the decision constitutes a "positive shock" to the peace process.
Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan met with the King of Jordan on Sunday in the city of Amman to discuss cooperation between the two countries in the areas of security and military. According to a news release from the Government of Canada, Sajjan announced its support to help bolster Jordan's security by supporting "construction and rehabilitation of a road along Jordan's northern border with Syria," which will enable the "Jordanian Armed Forces to better respond to threats along the border."
Lara Logan Announced as Host and Moderator of Spirit of Hope 2018
FSWC is thrilled to welcome 60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan as the host and moderator of Spirit of Hope 2018. Logan's bold, award-winning reporting has earned her a prominent spot among the world's best foreign correspondents, with reports on the operation to take back Mosul from ISIS, a little-known victims of the Holocaust of WWII, and the similarities between ISIS genocide tactics' and those of Hitler's Final Solution.
Spirit of Hope will be taking place on May 30, 2018 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's South Building.
Stay tuned for additional event details in the coming weeks!
FSWC Wants to Hear from You
Passionate about an issue in the news or your community? Does it align with FSWC's mandate? Then we want to hear from you! FSWC is inviting you to submit reflections on issues that matter to you and the community. While we won't be publishing anything just yet, we will be taking all submissions into consideration for future projects.
Submit reflections to aborisovsky@fswc.ca.
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