Israel News for 1-28-19
Venezuela Backing
PM Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel had decided to recognize the opposition in Venezuela as the country’s official government. The move was reportedly in response to intense pressure from the US. Israel had remained silent until now so as not to cause potential harm to the Jewish community in Venezuela. There are currently between 5 and 6 thousand Jews in Venezuela, mostly in the capital Caracas. Just ten years ago the community numbered around 20,000, before mass emigration to the US, Canada and Mexico.
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Malaysia Loses
Malaysia has been stripped of the hosting rights for the World Para Swimming Championships after refusing to let Israelis compete in the event. The International Paralympic Committee on Sunday said its governing board meeting in London decided to take the event from Malaysia after it “failed to provide the necessary guarantees that Israeli Para swimmers could participate, free from discrimination, and safely in the championships. This includes full compliance with the IPC protocols related to anthems and flags, and where required the provision of relevant visas.”
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Trip Cancelled
Yuli Edelstein (Likud), the speaker of the Knesset, had ordered that plans to send a delegation of Israeli lawmakers to Ireland be cancelled in protest of the Irish parliament’s support for a bill banning business with companies which operate in Judea, Samaria and the Golan. The delegation’s trip was planned in response to an invitation from the Irish parliament to meet with senior Irish lawmakers. The Irish bill is expected to be nullified by the Irish government, but still…
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Cannabis Exports
Israel’s cabinet approved on Sunday a law to allow exports of medical cannabis. The law, passed by the Knesset last month, allows companies approved by the health regulator and police to export medical cannabis to countries that permit its use. Exports could start in as little as nine months.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said, “I am glad this is finally happening. It opens a very big market in Israel. The technology is here in Israel and until now we simply had to give the technology to other countries. Therefore, I am glad we can reap the profits here in Israel.” The government estimates exports could raise tax revenue by NIS 1 billion ($273 million).
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Brazil Rescue
An IDF search and rescue team arrived in Brazil yesterday to join local teams to search for hundreds of people missing in the wake of a catastrophic dam collapse. The army said the search-and-rescue teams would use radar, underwater sonar, cellular detection systems and drones to locate the missing people.
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Holocaust Remembrance
Sunday marked the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops in 1945. Approximately 1 million Jews were murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau during WWII, mostly in gas chambers. In total, approximately 6 million Jews were murdered during WWII. Survivors of the camp gathered at Auschwitz yesterday to give testimony. They were joined by Poland’s Prime Minister, the Israeli and Russian ambassadors and the Chief Rabbi of Poland.
Unfortunately, the world is forgetting about the Holocaust. According to a study released by the Claims Conference last year, 31% of all Americans and 41% of millennials believe that fewer than 2 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, and 45% of all Americans cannot name even one concentration camp.
This year the Conference released a similar survey of Canadian adults. According to the survey, 22% of millennials (ages 18 – 34) haven’t heard or are not sure if they have heard of the Holocaust and 52% cannot name a single concentration camp or Ghetto. Nearly one quarter of all Canadians (23%) believe that substantially less than 6 million Jews were killed (two million or fewer) during the Holocaust. In another survey just released, 5% of British adults believe the Holocaust never happened and 20% thought the number of Jews murdered was less than 2 million.
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Why is it important to remember the Holocaust? So that it can never happen again, to the Jewish people or to any group of human beings anywhere in the world. And it CAN happen again, unless we make sure it doesn’t. Let’s each do our own part by making sure that those we interact with know the truth. Never Again.
