Compassion to Action Mission to Poland and Israel Is Underway!

Over the weekend, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center's Compassion to Action participants arrived in Poland, starting their week-long immersive educational journey through Poland and Israel to learn about the Jewish past, present and future. This is the ninth delegation of the annual mission and includes chiefs of police, deputy commissioners, director generals, business leaders, and chairs and directors of boards of education. Currently in Poland, the group has visited sites such as Gensia cemetery in Warsaw, Majdanek concentration camp to learn about life under Nazi occupation, and the Canadian Embassy to take part in discussions on Holocaust education and addressing hate crimes in Poland. Stay tuned for more updates as the journey continues!

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Nazi Symbolism Present at Montreal Protest

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center is monitoring an increasing number of marches being staged by Quebec far-right groups, including one this past Sunday in Montreal where a photo was taken depicting a protester performing the Nazi salute. The march was organized in protest of the federal government's immigration policies, specifically with regards to asylum seekers at the Lacolle border in southern Quebec.

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Israel Passes Anti-'Pay for Slay' Law

On Monday night, following a vote of 87 to 15, Israel passed the Anti-“Pay for Slay” bill into law, meaning any money the Palestinian Authority (PA) provides to terrorists and their families will be deducted from the tariffs and taxes Israel collects for the PA. Avi Dichter, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman, gave examples of Palestinian terrorists who receive 1.2 billion shekels a year from the PA, a sum that will already be frozen this year due to the new law. 

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For First Time, Israeli Chosen to Chair UN Human Rights Committee

An Israeli human rights expert has been chosen to chair the UN Human Rights Committee for the first time ever. Yuval Shany, deputy president of the Israel Democracy Institute and member of Hebrew University’s Faculty of Law, was selected on Monday unanimously by the Geneva-based committee’s 18 members. Three times a year, the committee convenes for four-week sessions to review countries’ reports on their adherence to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

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Israel Convicts Hacker for Bomb Threats Targeting US Jewish Centres

Last week an Israeli court convicted a US-Israeli man for making a string of bomb threats targeting US Jewish community centres, airlines and shopping malls. In early 2017, there were reportedly dozens of bomb threats against Jewish community centres and days schools in the US and Canada, raising fears of rising antisemitism. In total, the man was accused of making over 2,000 threats.

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White Supremacist Propaganda on US College Campuses Jumps 77%: Study

According to a study published last week by the Anti-Defamation League, the dissemination of white supremacist propaganda on US college campuses increased 77% during the 2017-2018 academic year. There were 292 cases compared to 165 cases the previous year. The incidents happened more frequently in Texas and California, followed by Florida and Washington. 

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From the Arab World

According to the IDF, Hamas has been building fake dating apps to get Israeli soldiers to download malicious software on to their mobile phones. Hundreds of soldiers were contacted via social media this year to download the apps, which would grant Hamas the ability to see the soldier’s location and contact list and use the phone as a listening device and video camera. The IDF stated the hacks failed to cause any security damage, as most soldiers refused to download the apps and reported the incidents to commanders.

A senior Hamas delegation will be heading to Cairo in the coming days to attend talks about the situation in the Gaza Strip and improving relations between Fatah and Hamas. Hamas is reportedly conditioning progress in reconciliation talks on the removal of the Palestinian Authority’s sanctions on Gaza. 

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Registration Open for Summer Educator Certificate Courses

Registration is open for our summer educator certificate courses! These intensive programs provide educators with innovative and proven techniques to teach students about genocide and the Holocaust in the upcoming school year.To sign up for one or both courses, please email education@fswc.ca.

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Report Antisemitism and News of Concern to FSWC

If you would like to report antisemitism or news of concern to Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, please email aborisovsky@fswc.ca.