The Jerusalem Post: A classmate's antisemitism drew Warsaw students to flock to Hanukkah event

On Monday, on the Facebook invitation for a Hanukkah event at the University of Warsaw, Konrad Smuniewski inveighed against “Jew communists” and called Judaism a “criminal ideology” of “racism, xenophobia and hatred.”

His posts, however, generated a backlash that propelled the normally modest Hanukkah party at the university’s Judaic Department into the spotlight — garnering coverage in the Polish media that was highly critical of Smuniewski’s remarks and leading to a doubling in attendance at the event the following day. [...]

In a country where many left-wing liberals are accusing the rightist government of mainstreaming xenophobia since its rise to power last year, the anti-Semitic views expressed by Smuniewski — a devout Catholic and Donald Trump fan who studies history at the university — were particularly shocking to some of his critics because he couched them in pseudo-academic language. [...]

To Bakon, Smuniewski’s decision to publish hate speech under his own name, and to then defend it in the national media, is typical of what she described as how rising nationalism in Poland is emboldening racists. [...]

In its October report on hate crimes in Poland last year,  the European Tolerance Center reported a decline in the prevalence of anti-Semitic discourse in Poland. Yet Poland’s Never Again Association, which tracks racist and xenophobic incidents in the country, revealed in September that it was getting reports of 10 racism incidents daily, whereas this used to be the weekly tally less than two years ago.

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The Jerusalem Post: Palestinians left wondering as Saudi paper takes Netanyahu’s side

The editorial, published Sunday in the Saudi Gazette, a daily published in Jeddah that has a woman editor-in-chief, seemed to depart in tone from the widely-held position in the Arab world that Israel is responsible for the impasse with the Palestinians. It likened Netanyahu’s proposal that the two leaders address each other’s parliaments, to Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s 1977 invitation to Egyptian president Anwar Sadat to visit Israel, and implied it could also lead to a breakthrough. Begin made the invitation “and the rest is history,’’ the editorial said. [...]

The editorial comes two months after a Saudi delegation of academics and businessmen, led by retired Saudi general Anwar Eshki, touched off criticism in the Arab world for openly visiting Israel and meeting with officials and MKs. There was speculation that the trip reflected a quiet development of discrete ties between the countries based largely on their having a common enemy, Iran.

Palestinians are wary that any normalization with Israel by Saudi Arabia or other Arab countries would represent a sellout of their cause and undermine their position vis-à-vis Israel.

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The Jerusalem Post: Analysis: Why the Turkey coup failed and what's likely to come next

The great irony in the coup attempt that failed in Turkey was evident. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried for years to stifle the operating freedom of social networks and has accused them of being dark forces attempting to undermine his rule. It was these same social media networks which helped him to put down the coup.  [...]

It can be assumed that now, with the defeat of the coup attempt, he will immediately increase his efforts to strengthen his hold on power and oppress his opponents. His supporters are already accusing his arch rival Fethullah Gulen, a powerful cleric who lives in exile in the US, of organizing the rebellion. Gulen has denied involvement, but that will not stop Erdogan from  persecuting his supporters. In Turkey, conspiracy theories that Erdogan himself planned the coup in order to make himself stronger are even being voiced. [...]

However, it can be assumed that the Israeli government, the defense establishment and the intelligence community would not have shed a tear if the coup had succeeded, Erdogan was ousted and the army took power.

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The Jerusalem Post: NGO transparency bill moves towards final vote

The bill, a combination of a Justice Ministry proposal and initiatives by MKs Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi) and Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beytenu), states that any non-profit organization that receives more than half of its funding from a foreign political entity must write as much on any publication or letter to elected officials or civil servants.

In addition, a list of the NGOs falling under the bill’s purview, as well as the countries from which they received donations, must be posted on the Non-Profit Registrar’s website. [...]

Ahead of the referendum in the UK over leaving the EU, Regavim, an organization that Smotrich headed before taking elected office, launched a campaign in favor of what has been nicknamed “Brexit,” arguing that a weaker EU is better for Israel. Regavim combats illegal use of Israeli land, in some cases by Palestinians funded by the EU. The NGO has received payment from local authorities in the West Bank for its services. [...]

Constitution Committee chairman Nissan Slomiansky (Bayit Yehudi) pointed out that the bill is different from how it was originally proposed.

For example, Smotrich’s version of the bill would have required representatives of foreign-government-funded NGOs to wear brightly colored named tags while in the Knesset, like lobbyists do, but that clause was removed.

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The Jerusalem Post: Israelis, fearful for economic future, want Scandinavian-style government, survey shows

On one hand, most Israelis say their financial situation is good and getting better. On the other hand, they’re worried they won’t be able to provide for their children.

On one hand, they want significantly more government spending in a wide range of public services. On the other hand, they say they pay too many taxes. [...]

Recent data, in some ways, depict an unequal economy. According to a report by Israel’s Taub Center for Social Policy Studies, Israelis spend more on consumer goods in comparison to the residents of other OECD countries — particularly food. Only three countries in the OECD have greater income inequality, defined by the group as the difference in income between the richest 10 percent and the poorest 10 percent. More than one-fifth of Israelis live under the poverty line. [...]

Israeli Jews in particular, according to the survey, look to the government to better their lives. Nearly 60 percent of Jews prefer a “Scandinavian model” economy, with high taxes and a robust welfare state, over an “American model” with lower taxes and fewer government services. Nearly half of Jews (45 percent) say they want more government involvement in the economy.

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Jerusalem Post: Muslims, ultra-Orthodox, 'leftists' seen as giving least to Israel

Muslim Arabs, haredim and those on the political Left are seen as contributing the least to Israeli society, according to a new study on pluralism in Israel conducted for the Jewish People Policy Institute. [...]

Other findings of the study revealed that 60% of Israeli Jews believe there should be civil marriage in the country; some 44% would like non-Jews to attend their children’s schools; and 56% think the government should be more considerate of minority opinions.

However, 48% of those surveyed said there is too much freedom of expression in the country.

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