Category: Shalom Tv

JTA: B'nai B'rith Blasts Virginia State Bar For Canceling Israel Seminar

4/1/2015

Five weeks ago, Virginia legislators unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming the friendship between the United States and Israel.

But on Friday, the Virginia State Bar made the decision to cancel its upcoming seminar in Jerusalem, citing anti-Israel BDS rhetoric as the deciding factor.

B'nai B'rith International was quick to rebuke the state bar in a statement released on Monday. JBS (formerly ShalomTV) carried the statement as part of their coverage in Tuesday's News Update (2:45 mark).

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (and other outlets) highlighted B'nai B'rith's remarks, an excerpt of which can be found below:

JTA:

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and B’nai B’rith International condemned the Virginia State Bar for canceling its legal seminar in Jerusalem.

[...]

“In the face of this information, we felt it necessary and appropriate to forego this trip,” they wrote. “This was not a political decision and is not a ‘boycott.’ We are an inclusive organization and do not discriminate against any religion.”

B’nai B’rith called the decision “highly regrettable” and urged the agency to reconsider, adding that the “situation plays into the hands of the malicious Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.”

“Israel’s entry and exit procedures, while certainly strict, are entirely necessary in light of the country’s onerous security predicament,” B’nai B’rith also wrote.

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Reposted: Connecticut Jewish Ledger

Reposted: St. Louis Jewish Light

Reposted: J-Weekly

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

The Virginia State Bar is experiencing a teachable moment about Middle East politics.

The bar’s decision to cancel a planned November trip to Israel as part of its mission to further legal education of its members has provided the state agency with several painful lessons about planning a trip to the turbulent region.

[...]

The spectacle is particularly dismaying to Tommy P. Baer, a Henrico County immigration attorney who served as president of B’nai B’rith International. “For this to happen almost needlessly, it’s just very unfortunate,” he said Tuesday.

While Baer said he “would like to believe” the bar’s explanation, he is concerned that the body that registers, supports, and polices all attorneys licensed to practice law in Virginia would “wittingly or unwittingly play into the hands” of a movement that seeks punitive economic measures against Israel at a tense time in the country’s relationship with the United States.

“The bar has placed itself in that position,” he said.

Richmond Times-Dispatch

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B'nai B'rith Announces First Ever Live, Virtual Tour Of Jerusalem

3/10/2015

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B'nai B'rith International World Center is excited to announce a first-of-its-kind live, virtual tour of Israel. Friends and members of B'nai B'rith are invited to watch the three-hour tour of the Old City of Jerusalem on March 11, at 10 a.m. (EDT), or catch it archived after the fact.

The announcement was picked up by the New York Jewish Week, which conducted an interview with Alan Schneider, director of the B’nai B’rith World Center.

Read highlights from the article below, and view a mention in a JBS (formerly Shalom TV) broadcast (4:40 mark):

Click Here to Watch the Tour

[...]

The three-hour event, believed to be the first of its kind, will be presented free of charge by the B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem.

It will hosted by a 20-year veteran Israeli tour guide, Gil Perez, and include stops at such major tourist sites as the Western Wall, a view of the Temple Mount, the ancient walls that surround the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, regarded as the site of both the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth.

“We are always helping Jews and non-Jews who visit here,” said Alan Schneider, director of the B’nai B’rith World Center.

JBS News (03/06/15):

“But we know that many people are not able to visit or have not yet visited, and we thought this would be a good way to expose them to the different sights and sounds of the city. It will be an unedited, live look at Jerusalem using high speed video streaming technology so that it can be done in an affordable way.”

He said the current plan is to use one cameraman/producer, Shmuel Benhamou. And viewers will be instructed in how to text questions about the sites being visited.

“The plan is to go to one site for 45-minutes, then take a 10 or 15-minute break while we travel to another site,” Schneider said. “We’ll take another break before we get to the third site, and so on. And as we go along, we may stop tourists to ask them about their experiences. We might go to the shook [market place] and stop at a shop and bargain for a chatzka [small item]. We also may stop for lunch in the Jewish quarter. It will not be a formal show. It is designed to give people a sense that you are here on a tour.”

NY Jewish Week

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B’nai B’rith To Web Retailers: Remove Hateful Paraphernalia

10/20/2014

B'nai B'rith International took a stand against hateful paraphernalia being sold in online marketplaces, calling on web retailers Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, Sears Marketplace and Yahoo! to adhere to their own policies of decency.

The move came amid news that Etsy had recently revised its community standards, and that Sears and Amazon had neo-Nazi accessories (since removed) being sold by independent vendors.

The organization's statement was widely circulated, appearing on JBS (formerly Shalom TV), and in the Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, Shalom Life and i24News.TV.

Shortly after releasing the statement, Sears reached out with a formal statement of its own, apologizing for the situation and vowing to do more moving forward.

Read highlights of the news coverage, below (video story begins at 3:45 mark):

Times of Israel:

[...]

On Saturday Etsy said it had reached out to B’nai B’rith and was conducting “constructive dialogue” on the issue, though it did not say it would remove the items in question.

“We very much appreciate B’nai B’rith being on the front lines of erasing hate,” an Etsy spokesperson told The Times of Israel. “We are constantly reviewing our policies to ensure they are in line with our values, and will continue to evolve them accordingly. We’re looking forward to continuing this dialogue with B’nai B’rith as we work through these issues together.”

Shalom Life:

[...]

This isn't the first time, nor the last, that a major retailer has released anti-Semitic for sale through its website.

Sears, Walmart and Amazon were called out for selling a poster with the gates of Dachau and the words “Arbeit Macht Frei” (work will make you free) on it in the home decor section. Sears was also called out this past week for selling men’s swastika rings on their website.

Even Zara has been brought to light for selling concentration camp shirts which they claimed had been intended to capture the theme of the Old West and not promote or be insensitive of the Holocaust.

Jerusalem Post:

[...]

Currently available on Etsy are a Hitler-like crocheted cat wearing the German leader’s trademark tan uniform and red armband; a “Custom Made Swastika Symbol Removable Wall Decor Decal”; swastika guitar picks and a “Jaws ‘Jews’ Hitler Spoof Limited Edition Art Print,” showing the iconic movie shark lunging upward toward a boat bearing Hitler, over which the word “Jews” appears instead of “Jaws.”

i24News.TV:

Sears then removed a swastika ring from the roster of items offered for sale, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.

The item description quoted in the report read "this Gothic jewelry item in particular features a Swastika ring that’s made of .925 Thai silver.”

It then featured the following curious disclaimer: “Not for Neo Nazi or any Nazi implication. These jewelry items are going to make you look beautiful at your next dinner date.”

@BnaiBrith We are deeply sorry for this occurrence. Please feel free to read our formal apology here: http://t.co/yJ4plR45R8.
— Sears (@Sears) October 15, 2014

JBS: B'nai B'rith Denounces Ban Ki-moon's Stance On Israeli Conflict

10/20/2014

B'nai B'rith International was featured on JBS (formerly Shalom TV), denouncing United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for ignoring violent extremism as “root cause” of Palestinian-Israeli hostilities.

The comments were made while speaking at the Cairo conference on reconstruction in Gaza on Oct. 12, where Ki-moon unfairly asserted, "we must not lose sight of the root causes of the recent hostilities: a restrictive occupation that has lasted almost half a century, the continued denial of Palestinian rights and the lack of tangible progress in peace negotiations.”‎

Hear B'nai B'rith's response in the video below (3:36 mark):

U.N. Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon with P.A. Pres. Mahmoud Abbas

JBS: B'nai B'rith Honors Nets CEO For Humanitarian Leadership

10/19/2014

B'nai B'rith International was featured on JBS (formerly Shalom TV), honoring Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark for his humanitarian efforts with the Distinguished Achievement Award.

Yormark said of the honor: “I am honored to join an impressive and long list of Distinguished Achievement Award recipients. B’nai B’rith is a true champion for communities everywhere with its inspirational and relentless work to make the world a better place.

"The Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center are proud to serve as a pillar of strength for the local community and I am privileged to lead these efforts.”

The story begins at the 4:26 mark in the video:

JBS: B'nai B'rith Condemns Swastika Graffiti On AEPi House

10/8/2014

B'nai B'rith International was featured on JBS (formerly Shalom TV), denouncing an outrageous act of anti-Semitism on an American college campus following Yom Kippur.

The heinous act was committed at an Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity house at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Spray-painted swastikas on the front of the AEPi fraternity house were found during the evening of Oct. 4.

The story begins at the 3:00 mark in the video:

JBS: Hungarian Holocaust Rescuers To Be Honored By B'nai B'rith

10/8/2014

B'nai B'rith International was featured on JBS (formerly Shalom TV), announcing the recognition of Berta Davidovitz Rubinsztejn and Gyorgy (Yitzhak) Gyuri with the Jewish Rescuers Citation.

The pair posed as Gentiles during the Nazi occupation of Hungary, rescuing Jewish children orphaned by the Holocaust and securing their escape to neutral Switzerland.

The honors will be presented by the B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem and the Committee to Recognize the Heroism of Jews who Rescued Fellow Jews During the Holocaust (JRJ).

The story begins at the 4:44 mark in the video:

Shalom TV: B'nai B'rith Praises Greek Efforts To Curb Anti-Semitism

9/15/2014

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B'nai B'rith International was featured on Shalom TV Daily News, commending the Greek government for new legislation that strengthens the country's anti-discrimination laws concerning anti-Semitism.

The law was passed by parliament on Sept. 9, and increases jail time for offenders from two to three years and sets the fine at $34,000 as the maximum penalty for “inciting acts of discrimination, hatred or violence” based on religion, race or disability.

The story begins at the 5:23 mark in the video:

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Shalom TV: B'nai B'rith Receives Disaster Relief Grant From AEPi

9/8/2014

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Shalom TV Daily News featured B'nai B'rith International's Disaster Relief Fund as one recipient of Alpha Epsilon Pi's new $1 million philanthropy initiative.

B’nai B’rith was one of ten organizations selected during the Jewish fraternity's annual international convention, and will invest the generous grant in humanitarian aid efforts around the globe.

The story begins at the 3:48 mark in the video:

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Shalom TV: B'nai B'rith Denounces Pair Of Biased Gaza Reports

8/14/2014

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While the Israel-Hamas ceasefire has been extended, the war on Israel continues in the court of public opinion. The UN Human Rights Council and American Studies Association each filed one-sided reports condemning Israel's actions in Gaza.

B'nai B'rith International was featured for a pair of declarations against those reports on Wednesday's episode of Shalom TV News Update.

Watch the segment, beginning at the 2:45 mark:

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JTA: B'nai B'rith Blasts Virginia State Bar For Canceling Israel Seminar

JTA:

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

B'nai B'rith Announces First Ever Live, Virtual Tour Of Jerusalem

JBS News (03/06/15):

B’nai B’rith To Web Retailers: Remove Hateful Paraphernalia

Times of Israel:

Shalom Life:

Jerusalem Post:

i24News.TV:

JBS: B'nai B'rith Denounces Ban Ki-moon's Stance On Israeli Conflict

JBS: B'nai B'rith Honors Nets CEO For Humanitarian Leadership

JBS: B'nai B'rith Condemns Swastika Graffiti On AEPi House

JBS: Hungarian Holocaust Rescuers To Be Honored By B'nai B'rith

Shalom TV: B'nai B'rith Praises Greek Efforts To Curb Anti-Semitism

Shalom TV: B'nai B'rith Receives Disaster Relief Grant From AEPi

Shalom TV: B'nai B'rith Denounces Pair Of Biased Gaza Reports

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