Your Daily Spiel is The CJN‘s daily roundup of trending stories in the Jewish world
CANADA
Premier Kathleen Wynne released details today regarding her forthcoming inaugural mission to Israel and the West Bank. “I look forward to strengthening our political, economic and cultural ties on my first mission to the Middle East,” she said.
York University’s Jewish faculty members have penned an open letter to the university following a wave of negative press surrounding its alleged anti-Israel and anti-Semitic environment. “The solution to anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment on campus surely is not to abandon campus,” they write. “Rather, it is to double down on deep engagement with history and ideas, and to promote rich, real exchanges about ideas that matter.”
UNITED STATES
Bernie Sanders is under fire after (incorrectly) asserting, twice, that Israel killed over “10,000 innocent civilians” during the 2014 Gaza war. Our first legitimate Jewish contender for the U.S. presidency ladies and gentlemen.
Monica Lewinsky was in Jerusalem for the Forbes Under 30 summit, where she moderated a panel on the Israel-Palestinian conflict as it pertains to social media bullying. “I came to be interested in the topic of bullying because of experiences that I had in the late 1990s. And if you do not know what I am talking about, please do not google it,” she said.
A Colorado man is planning on building a full-scale replica of Jerusalem’s holiest Christian sites, including Jesus’ crucifixion site, Herod’s Temple and Palace, the Antonia Fortress, and the High Priest’s Palace. He’s reportedly already purchased a 700-acre plot, and hopes to raise $100 million (US) to build the “Christian theme park.”
ISRAEL
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that the P.A. is ready to discuss a viable solution to the Mideast conflict. “We want to hear a clear statement from the Israeli government that it believes in the two-state solution,” Abbas said. “If it agrees to this, the beginning of the solution will be ready and we will negotiate about the other issues.” Abbas also said he was prepared to work on stopping “mutual incitement” between the two sides.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the Palestine Liberation Organization-Negotiation Affairs Department shared words over Netanyahu’s invitation to Abbas to speak.
Negotiate what exactly? https://t.co/h13QYdknp9
— Palestine PLO – NAD (@nadplo) April 5, 2016
Eventually, avid Israel supporter Roseanne chimed in.
For further questions don’t hesitate to contact our best diplomat, @therealroseanne! She’s glad to clarify ur query. pic.twitter.com/6qvpn9TVMn — Danielle Fischer (@DaniFischer84) April 6, 2016
If you’re interested in the controversy regarding the IDF soldier who shot a prone Palestinian attacker in Hebron, read this op-ed from someone who has spent decades examining the military ethics of the IDF.
WORLD
Two Israeli volleyball champions made history this week after becoming the first Israelis to play the sport in Qatar, which has no ties with Israel whatsoever.
An Israeli archeologist claims that Jewish ritual slaughter (shechita) was influenced not only by the kosher laws spelled out in the Torah, but also by the ancient Roman method of butchering.
CULTURE
We spoke to “Canadian Jewess” Avi Schwartzberger about her web series Avi Does the Holy Land, which, from first glance, appears to follow a right-wing fanatic who hates leftists with a passion. Join the club. Eventually, it came to light that Schwartzberger isn’t actually a person at all – but a satirical character aimed at “challenging conceptions of Israel on both sides of the aisle.”
Academy Award-winning actor Helen Mirren will host the Genesis 2016 prize, the Jewish equivalent of the Nobel Prize awards, in Jerusalem this year. This year’s recipient is acclaimed violinist Itzhak Perlman.
Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Mark, talked about her Jewish journey at an event recently, and even credited Shabbat and other Jewish concepts for some of her main pieces of business advice.
Are you religious? Do you daven? Do you wear a suit? If you answered yes to at least two of these questions, watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2tUK7o1H3c
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