1. Tens of Thousands Celebrate Jerusalem Day in Israel
Tens of thousands participated in the Jerusalem Day Flag March around the Old City in celebration of 50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem. Groups sang and danced while holding Israeli flags and dressed in white and blue. After capturing East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War, Israel declared Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel. Celebrations come one day after US President Donald Trump recognized the significance of Jerusalem to Jewish people, stating, "The ties of the Jewish people to this Holy Land are ancient and eternal. They date back thousands of years, including the reign of King David whose star now flies proudly on Israel's white and blue flag." On Monday, Trump made history as he became the first sitting American president to visit one of Judaism's holiest sites - Jerusalem's Western Wall.
2. University in BC Rejects Motion to Support Antisemitic BDS Movement
FSWC welcomes the recent rejection of a motion to boycott Israel at Simon Fraser University. On Sunday, following a week of voting, the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) at the university announced the results of a referendum which called for the support of the antisemitic BDS movement. By a vote of 227 to 186, the motion was defeated. In April, a BDS motion also failed to pass at the University of British Columbia.
3. Letter to Saudi Ambassador to UNESCO Calls for Condemnation of Saudi University Offering Antisemitic Course on Judaism
Simon Wiesenthal Center has called on the Saudi ambassador to UNESCO, Ibrahim Youssef S. Albalawi, to condemn and look at possible measures to close down an antisemitic course being offered at a leading Saudi university. In his letter to Albalawi, Dr. Shimon Samuels - Director of International Relations at the Simon Wiesenthal Center European office - explains that the course at Umm al-Qura University, entitled "Judaism 241", teaches "that the Jews rely on three sources: 'The Torah, The Talmud, The Protocols of Zion.'"
"The Protocols, often denoted as 'a warrant for genocide,' is a forgery by the Russian Tsarist regime to distract public attention from dictatorship and economic woes. It has been used across the Arab world to foment hatred of the State of Israel and Jews worldwide," Samuels stated in his letter. Other antisemitic teachings in the course include the Jews' "age-old hostility" toward Islam and negative Jewish traits and behavior based on the Quran.
4. Ottawa Teen Arrested for Hate Graffiti Spree Continues to Harbour Racist Views, Says Crown
The Ottawa-area teen who was arrested and charged following a spree of hate graffiti in November of last year - targeting both Jewish and Muslim places of worship and significance - apparently continues to hold racist views, and continues to subscribe to a racist ideology, says Crown prosecutor. However, the teen's probation officer and a youth worker familiar with the young man have said that he has not yet received any significant rehabilitation programming from the government to deal with these issues. The teen (who cannot be named due to his age) reportedly has schizophrenia, according to earlier reports, and his defense lawyer is arguing that he should not be sentenced as an adult due to the special circumstances.
5. Manchester Bombing: British PM Theresa May Deploys Army, Terrorist Had Links to Al Qaeda
In a speech delivered last night, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she has moved the United Kingdom's terror threat to the highest level possible - critical - which means that the British government believes that further terrorist attacks are imminent following the suicide bombing outside of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on Monday. The decision also allows the Prime Minister to deploy the British military to secure civilian locations - a measure which has not been taken in the United Kingdom in over a decade. It is also being reported that the suspected suicide attacker, Salman Ramadan Abedi, had links to Al Qaeda, and may have recently received terrorism training in his family's native Libya.
6. Developing: ISIS-linked Militants Take Control of City in Southern Philippines, Have Hostages
It is being reported that the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has declared martial law after militants linked with the Islamic State terrorist group have taken control of large sections of the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines following a shocking assault on the city earlier today. There are also reports that the militants have taken large numbers of hostages, and have beheaded the city's police chief in a grisly display which appears to mimic the barbaric actions of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Duterte, a controversial figure in global politics due to his ruthless crackdown on the illicit drug trade in his country, delivered a televised speech to his people just hours ago, ominously stating that "if it would take a year to do it, then we'll do it. If it's over within a month, then I'd be happy. To my countrymen, do not be too scared... I'll be harsh."
7. British Journalist Katie Hopkins Calls for 'Final Solution' Following Manchester Attack
Prominent right-wing British journalist Katie Hopkins, who is a popular figure in Britain and a frequent guest on America's Fox News Channel, is facing widespread condemnation after making reference to a "final solution to British Muslims in a tweet she posted shortly following the terrorist attack at a Manchester concert. In the now deleted tweet, Hopkins said that British politicians should "not be part of the problem. We need a final solution" - apparently alluding to Adolf Hitler's "Final Solution to the Jewish Question", a term which is widely regarded as the beginning of the genocidal stage of the Holocaust. Hopkins has since apologized for the tweet, but some are calling for British police to charge her with inciting hatred against the Muslim community.
8. FSWC at Work
We at FSWC would like to extend a big THANK YOU to our community of dedicated and loyal donors, supporters, and community leaders for the great success of this year's Spirit of Hope Gala! Over 2000 of you joined us this past Thursday to celebrate our many past successes, and to pledge to continue our hard work to confront our many present and future challenges. Without your support, we would not be able to do the work we do - whether it be our educational initiatives through the award-winning, state-of-the-art Tour for Humanity, our in-office Tom & Anna Koffler Tolerance Training Center, our outreach efforts to Canadian political and community leaders, or our work in proactively responding to community challenges as they emerge. We cannot thank you enough, and we look forward to another year of working to make all of you proud!