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Muhammad Ali – proponent of Islam, grandfather to bar mitzvah boy. The Greatest, who died Friday at the age of 74, will forever be known as a social activist and advocate for Muslim rights. It didn’t seem like he was a fan of Israel, though – at one point he charged that Zionists controlled the world and they are “against” Islam. Interestingly though, Ali’s grandson Jacob, whose mother identified as Muslim, was bar mitzvahed in 2012, and apparently “felt a kinship with Judaism and Jewish culture.”
Fourth time’s a charm? Fat chance. In February, McGill undergraduates were asked to consider supporting a BDS motion – for the third time in 18 months, no less (the first two were ultimately voted down). Now, there’s a chance that a fourth such motion would be much harder to introduce, given that the university’s student council has suggested that any resolution targeting a single nation is “unconstitutional” and in breach of its equity policy. In other BDS news, New York has become the first U.S. state to sign an anti-BDS order, with Governor Andrew Cuomo signing an executive order that prohibits any state agency or authority from participating in a boycott.
Mahmoud Abbas vs. the Bible. According to Palestinian Media Watch, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been telling his disciples that the Palestinians have been in Israel for the last 5 or 6,000 years. According to PMW, such a claim is outrageous, as Palestinian Arabs only arrived on the land in 637 CE with the Muslim invasion. According to Abbas, “the Bible says, in these words, that the Palestinians existed before Abraham.”
Don’t fall asleep at your desk. Last week, Zeev Farbman, CEO at Israeli start-up Lightricks, fell asleep at the office, prompting his employees to take a photo and – as it is 2016 and all – send his body on a digital adventure, from the Lion King to Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar victory speech. Check them all out here.
Israel’s got Garbage….. Classic 90’s alternative rock band Garbage – you might remember them from the song “Push It” or that one that appears on the Big Daddy soundtrack – are finally dropping a new album later this week, and Israeli fans will be the first to be able to see them perform the new material live. The group will play Rishon Lezion in August.
….And also Queen with Adam Lambert? According to Ynet, Queen (with new Jewish frontman Adam Lambert) are in talks to perform in Israel this summer, too. Details remain scarce at this point, but we’ll keep you posted.
Bra-Up Nation. Nowadays, there’s an Israeli startup for basically anything, well, at least now there is, after Tel Aviv-based Brayola got $2.5 million (US) from investors, making international headlines. Brayola, which aims to match your breasts to the perfect bra, will take size, shape and preferences all into consideration, leaving its clients surprisingly satisfied, according to Lisa Keys, who broke the story for JTA. Having never tried on a bra myself, I’ll take her word for it.
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