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Spirit of Hope Speakers Announced
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center is pleased to have announced the Spirit of Hope 2018 panel of speakers. This year's host and moderator will be 60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan, whose bold, award-winning reporting has earned her a prominent spot among the world's best foreign correspondents.
Joining Logan on stage will be former prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper, former prime minister of Israel Ehud Barak and former prime minister of Spain Jose Maria Aznar - who will delve into discussions about current international issues, Israel and the Middle East, human rights, antisemitism and more. This is an event you don't want to miss!
To reserve your seats, click here or contact Tracey Steyn at tsteyn@fswc.ca, 416-864-9735 ext. 21.
This new year, make giving back one of your New Year's resolutions. Donations made to Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center go towards funding numerous educational programs and advocacy initiatives that help fight hate and antisemitism in Canada.
US Threatens to Cut Funding for UN Agency, Aid to Palestinians
Yesterday US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley stated that the Trump administration plans to withhold funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) until Palestinians enter into peace talks with Israel. In a pair of tweets yesterday, US President Donald Trump threatened to cut aid to the Palestinians, stating that the US spends "hundreds of millions of dollars" a year on the Palestinians, but with "Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?"
What You Need to Know About the Protests in Iran
Since Thursday, tens of thousands Iranians began anti-government protests, forming the largest outpouring of government opposition since 2009. Demonstrations - which where initially against rising prices and corruption, but turned into a protest against Iran's Islamic leadership - have left at least 20 people dead and 450 detained. Iran's Revolutionary Guards head announced today that after six days of unrest, the protests were over.
Delta Airlines Sued for Discrimination Against Jews, Israelis
Delta Airlines has been sued by four former and current flight attendants for reportedly discriminating against Jewish and Israeli employees and passengers travelling to Israel. The four plaintiffs who worked the airline's New York-Tel Aviv flight filed a lawsuit yesterday. According to a statement from their attorney, Brian R. Mildenberg, "Delta has encouraged and maintained an anti-Jewish, Hebrew and ethnic Israeli attitude among management."
'Bookkeeper of Auschwitz' Loses Final Appeal Against Jail
Known as the Bookkeeper of Auschwitz, former Nazi guard Oskar Gröning, 96, lost his final appeal against jail. Germany's highest court ruled that his "complicity in murder in 300,000 cases" lends "weight to the enforcement of the punishment," and that appropriate health care could be provided in prison - countering Gröning's argument that imprisonment at his age would violate his "right to life." Gröning was found guilty in 2015 of being an accessory to the murders of 300,000 people while working as an accountant at Auschwitz.
The Artist Who Saved 350 Children from the Nazis by Forging ID Papers
Currently on display at the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam is the story of Alice Cohn - a Jewish artist in hiding who saved up to 350 Jewish children from the Nazis through the forgery of Dutch identity papers, despite the creation of a "fool-proof" ID system set up by the Nazis in the country. She and her group of co-resisters, called "The Utrecht Children's Committee," also forged ration coupons and new "wild papers" needed to help Dutch men evade forced labour in Germany during the last year of the war.
From the Arab World
Israel's intelligence agency, Shin Bet, revealed that it had uncovered an Iranian-backed terrorist network in the West Bank aimed to carry out attacks against Israelis. According to the agency, a 29-year-old from Hebron was recruited by Iranian intelligence to carry out terrorist attacks and conduct espionage missions. The individual had reportedly recruited to Hebron residents to form a terrorist cell in the West Bank, for which he was paid $8,000.
Egypt will reportedly extend its nationwide state of emergency for three months from January 13. According to the state news agency MENA, the state of emergency - originally imposed in April after two church bombings killed at least 45 people - is meant to tackle "the dangers and funding of terrorism."
Looking for Students Interested in Creating Positive Change
The deadline for Speakers Idol speech submissions is quickly approaching! The speech-writing and public-speaking competition will be taking place on March 27 (location to be announced), and students in Grades 6-12 are invited to submit their speeches by February 9 for consideration.
This year's speeches must include the Simon Wiesenthal quote, "Freedom of speech is not freedom to propagate hatred" and reflect on how to create positive change in the world.
Please submit speeches to education@fswc.ca.
Learn more about Speakers Idol
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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