Latest news with #SimonWiesenthalCenter
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rabbi Hier: ‘This is a phenomenal time to bring Azerbaijan into the Abraham Accords'
Ahead of Netanyahu's White House visit, a leading US rabbi urges adding Azerbaijan to the Abraham Accords as a key ally to deter Iran and spark wider Muslim participation. In an interview this week, Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the rabbi who blessed US President Donald Trump at his 2017 inauguration, reaffirmed his call for the United States to expand the Abraham Accords and welcome Azerbaijan as a new signatory. Referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming White House meeting with President Trump, Hier called this 'a phenomenal time' for bringing Baku into the regional peace framework. Azerbaijan and Israel have enjoyed close relations for more than 30 years. The secular, Shiite-majority state on Iran's northern border supplies a significant share of Israel's oil, buys Israeli defense equipment and shelters an ancient Jewish community. A recent Forbes analysis described Azerbaijan as a natural candidate to join the Abraham Accords, citing its role as an energy bridge between East and West and its close ties with Israel. According to the report, bringing Baku into the framework could boost regional energy stability and help curb Iran's disruptive influence. Hier praised Azerbaijan's decision to include Holocaust studies in its national curriculum and to openly support its Jewish community. 'Azerbaijan now teaches the Holocaust in its schools and its government openly supports its thriving Jewish community,' he noted. He added that these steps show why Azerbaijan 'should join the Abraham Accords — that would be a terrific thing.' He argued that Azerbaijan's inclusion would send Iran a powerful signal after the recent conflict. 'It would be a clear message that any aggression would be faced with a united front,' Hier warned, calling the current Iranian regime 'an absolute disgrace… a reincarnation of what was once done by Adolf Hitler.' Asked whether Azerbaijan's move could inspire other countries, Hier said he sees a clear ripple effect. 'I think it would be a domino effect. There are many people in the Arab world who are sick and tired of the extremists and would tell their governments to do what Azerbaijan did.' During the conversation, Hier also recalledthe letter he recently sent to Trump, praising his leadership for reshaping the Middle East and urging him to take 'this bold step toward a stronger, more united region.' In that letter, he described Azerbaijan as 'a true ally and a bridge between East and West.' Hier, who has repeatedly called the Abraham Accords a historic breakthrough for genuine coexistence, concluded that he hopes President Trump will seize this 'phenomenal moment' to widen the circle of peace.
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
After Decades of Hostility, Israeli-Syrian Relations Begin to Thaw
DAMASCUS, Syria -- Syria and Israel have been locked in a state of hostility for decades, but the new authorities in Damascus are taking a different tack with their neighbor to the south. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is using diplomatic channels and engaging in indirect discussions with Israel, which the United States has helped mediate, to resolve problems along the border, according to Syrian, Israeli and American officials. The two countries have kept up contact even as the Israeli military has carried out incursions into southern Syria that raised fears of a prolonged occupation. While the goals appear modest, these are the most serious talks between them in more than a decade and a departure from the former government's animosity toward Israel. The negotiations reflect a power shift across the Middle East, where Israel and Syria now find they have common ground. Both share an antipathy toward Iran, which was a close ally of the deposed Syrian president, Bashar Assad, during his 13-year civil war against an array of Syrian rebel groups. Al-Sharaa led an alliance of some of those rebel groups that overthrew Assad in December. Israel and the new Syrian leadership also share security concerns about Iran-backed proxy groups, which they want to prevent from infiltrating Syria. And both al-Sharaa and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel have found an ally in President Donald Trump. The United States has helped broker the back-channel discussions between the two countries, according to Tom Barrack, Trump's envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey. He has called for Israel and Syria to begin repairing their relations by signing a nonaggression pact. The U.S. has publicly called for Syria to join the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab states during Trump's first term. Syrian officials, however, have shown no inclination to join the accords imminently, or otherwise normalize ties with Israel, according to four people with knowledge of the discussions. The aim of the current talks appears to be more limited. 'Based on what I absorbed and heard from the president, we're less likely to hear about Abraham Accords in the short term and more likely to hear about deconflicting and making sure Israel and Syria are not enemies,' said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the director for global social action at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization. Cooper met with al-Sharaa last month in Damascus along with Johnnie Moore, an evangelical leader with ties to the Trump administration. Syria's foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, said Friday that Syria was open to cooperating with the United States to restore the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Israel, which established a U.N.- patrolled buffer zone between their forces on the Golan Heights. Israel captured the Golan, a strategic plateau, from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. Even though the Golan is one of the most contentious issues between Israel and Syria, Cooper said al-Sharaa did not raise the issue in their meeting. A return to a 1974 disengagement agreement would effectively reimpose a ceasefire that was in effect in the Golan Heights before Assad's ouster. After he was toppled, Israeli officials said they considered the accord void until order was restored in Syria. While that agreement falls short of a peace treaty, it could effectively restore quiet and lay the groundwork for an easing of tensions. Talk of normal diplomatic relations is premature, according to the four officials with knowledge of the indirect negotiations, and several others who have met with al-Sharaa and discussed the topic. Still, their accounts paint a picture of a Syrian president more pragmatic and open to engaging with Israel than his predecessors of the past five decades. 'My conclusion is he is a unicorn,' Cooper said of the Syrian leader. 'But we should still trust but verify,' he added, acknowledging the persistent skepticism of al-Sharaa because of his jihadi roots. Syria's Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The negotiations have developed despite tensions between Syria and Israel. After the fall of Assad, the Israeli military moved deeper into parts of southern Syria. It also launched hundreds of airstrikes on military targets in Syria and deployed forces across the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Israeli officials have defended the military actions as necessary to ensure that no hostile forces entrench themselves in Syrian territory near Israel. Israeli officials have also expressed deep skepticism about al-Sharaa, who led a rebel faction once linked to al-Qaida. While al-Sharaa has insisted he wants to be a reliable partner to the West, Israeli leaders are concerned that he will establish an Islamist, anti-Israel government. Within Syria, Israel's military actions have stoked fears that Israel may seek to maintain a military presence on Syrian soil indefinitely and expand its operations beyond the southern border areas. In recent weeks, there have been some signs of progress in the negotiations. After initially referring to al-Sharaa as a terrorist -- a reference to his former ties with al-Qaida -- Israeli officials said last week that they had an interest in normalizing relations with Syria and neighboring Lebanon. On Monday, the Trump administration revoked the foreign terrorist organization designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that al-Sharaa led before taking over Syria. It was the latest goodwill gesture toward al-Sharaa from Trump, who has also lifted most U.S. economic sanctions on Syria recently. In a meeting in late April, al-Sharaa said the Abraham Accords were not the right fit for Syria, according to Mouaz Moustafa, the head of a U.S.-based political advocacy group, the Syrian Emergency Task Force, who was present. Al-Sharaa said that any agreement with Israel would need public support from Syrians, Moustafa said. Mohanad Hage Ali, a fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, questioned whether Syria's position was tactical, intended to keep Israeli forces at bay, or truly a strategic shift. 'There seems to be an understanding taking shape on the security level,' he said. 'But on the political level, we haven't seen any grand gestures.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Sparks Storm Over Failure To Pull Plug On Glastonbury Act Bob Vylan's 'Appalling Hate Speech'
The BBC has been told that it must explain why it failed to pull the plug on Glastonbury act Bob Vylan after the band led chants of 'death to the IDF' on Saturday. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among those demanding answers from the BBC over its decision to live stream Bob Vylan's set, with the issue dominating the front pages of UK newspapers on Monday. More from Deadline Simon Wiesenthal Center Slams Glastonbury's "Bland Response" To Bob Vylan's "Death To The IDF" Chant Glastonbury Officials "Appalled" By Bob Vylan's Anti-Israel "Hate Speech" Chant From Stage BBC Slams "Deeply Offensive" Glastonbury Set: "We Have No Plans To Make It Available On Demand" 'There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech,' Starmer said in a statement. 'The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.' The BBC did not cut away from Bob Vylan, despite the punk band platforming controversial slogans like, 'from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, free,' and complaining about working for a 'f***ing Zionist.' The set remained on iPlayer for more than five hours before being removed by the BBC, though the corporation did issue a warning about 'very strong and discriminatory language.' The BBC's decision to carry the Glastonbury set, taken within hours of a separate call not to live broadcast Kneecap over hate speech fears, has led to some calls for executives to be prosecuted. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'By broadcasting [Bob Vylan's] vile hatred, the BBC appears to have also broken the law. I call on the police to urgently investigate and prosecute.' Danny Cohen, the former BBC TV chief, said the corporation's failure to cut away from Bob Vylan will send a 'shiver of fear, despair, disgust, and shock' down the spines of the UK's Jewish community. 'Someone in that [broadcast] gallery, someone representing the BBC, chose to keep that feed going, chose to keep that live broadcast going, rather than breaking away and immediately apologizing,' Cohen told Sky News. A BBC spokesperson said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. During this livestream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Simon Wiesenthal Center Slams Glastonbury's 'Bland Response' To Bob Vylan's 'Death To The IDF' Chant
Although Glastonbury and the BBC have condemned Bob Vylan's onstage comments at the England music festival, at least one Jewish human rights organization is not satisfied with the response. Jim Berk, CEO of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, called out both the festival and the network for providing a platform for the 'disgraceful' performance, in which Vylan led the crowd in chants of 'death to the IDF' and 'free Palestine.' More from Deadline Glastonbury Officials 'Appalled' By Bob Vylan's Anti-Israel 'Hate Speech' Chant From Stage BBC Slams 'Deeply Offensive' Glastonbury Set: 'We Have No Plans To Make It Available On Demand' BBC Avoids Kneecap But Live Streams Another Act Leading Crowd Chants Of "Death To The IDF" & "Free Palestine" 'It was sickening, dangerous and chillingly reminiscent of a modern-day Nazi rally,' said Berk, adding: 'It was public incitement, not performance. The explicit calls for violence against Jews, broadcast live by the BBC without interruption, literally gave hate a stage, a microphone, and the stamp of legitimacy of one of Britain's most respected public institutions.' Berk continued, 'And Glastonbury's bland response? Saying the chants merely 'crossed a line' and offering vague 'reminders' to artists is not accountability—it's cowardice. When confronted with explicit calls for violence against Jews, anything short of absolute condemnation and corrective action is complicity.' Referencing Hamas' October 2023 invasion of Israel's Nova music festival, where 378 were killed and 44 hostages were taken, Berk called the chants 'deeply re-traumatizing and terrifying.' 'This is a moment of reckoning. Festival organizers, media outlets, and artists must choose: will they be platforms for peace, or enablers of hate? Because silence is not neutrality, it is a green light for bigotry,' added Berk. 'Festivals must be prepared to halt performances that invoke hate; broadcasters must air festivals on deferred live and use their kill switch to take hate speech immediately off the air. Never again is not a slogan: It's a responsibility. And it's being betrayed on the world's biggest stages.' Following the performance, the BBC has decried the 'deeply offensive' set, which a spokesperson said they have 'no plans to make the performance available on demand.' A Glastonbury rep has said that organizers are 'appalled' by the chants, which 'very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Simon Wiesenthal Center Slams Glastonbury's 'Bland Response' To Bob Vylan's 'Death To The IDF' Chant
Although Glastonbury and the BBC have condemned Bob Vylan's onstage comments at the England music festival, at least one Jewish human rights organization is not satisfied with the response. Jim Berk, CEO of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, called out both the festival and the network for providing a platform for the 'disgraceful' performance, in which Vylan led the crowd in chants of 'death to the IDF' and 'free Palestine.' More from Deadline Glastonbury Officials 'Appalled' By Bob Vylan's Anti-Israel 'Hate Speech' Chant From Stage BBC Slams 'Deeply Offensive' Glastonbury Set: 'We Have No Plans To Make It Available On Demand' BBC Avoids Kneecap But Live Streams Another Act Leading Crowd Chants Of "Death To The IDF" & "Free Palestine" 'It was sickening, dangerous and chillingly reminiscent of a modern-day Nazi rally,' said Berk, adding: 'It was public incitement, not performance. The explicit calls for violence against Jews, broadcast live by the BBC without interruption, literally gave hate a stage, a microphone, and the stamp of legitimacy of one of Britain's most respected public institutions.' Berk continued, 'And Glastonbury's bland response? Saying the chants merely 'crossed a line' and offering vague 'reminders' to artists is not accountability—it's cowardice. When confronted with explicit calls for violence against Jews, anything short of absolute condemnation and corrective action is complicity.' Referencing Hamas' October 2023 invasion of Israel's Nova music festival, where 378 were killed and 44 hostages were taken, Berk called the chants 'deeply re-traumatizing and terrifying.' 'This is a moment of reckoning. Festival organizers, media outlets, and artists must choose: will they be platforms for peace, or enablers of hate? Because silence is not neutrality, it is a green light for bigotry,' added Berk. 'Festivals must be prepared to halt performances that invoke hate; broadcasters must air festivals on deferred live and use their kill switch to take hate speech immediately off the air. Never again is not a slogan: It's a responsibility. And it's being betrayed on the world's biggest stages.' Following the performance, the BBC has decried the 'deeply offensive' set, which a spokesperson said they have 'no plans to make the performance available on demand.' A Glastonbury rep has said that organizers are 'appalled' by the chants, which 'very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
