| Erev Shabbat - Parashat Behaalotecha 5784 | 15 Sivan 5784 - June 21, 2024 | | 
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| |  | Featuring Diverse Sources, Guiding Questions, and Relevant Halachic Topics | | |  The Jewish Approach to War | Behaalotecha 5784
Rav Doron Perez
Executive Chairman of Mizrachi World Movement
One of the most challenging things today, especially as Israel is eight months into the war, is what is the religious, Torah perspective of war? How should we view the harsh and difficult circumstance of going to war: we need to defend ourselves, G-d forbid having to kill people, including unfortunately civilians which are never targeted by Israel but sometimes caught in the attempts to save lives, release hostages and kill terrorists. How do we put this into a spiritual perspective?
In this week's parasha we are told to make two silver trumpets, which we are to blow to gather the troops to go to war – the same trumpets that are used in the service in the Temple at the time of sacrifices. In fact, the Rambam counts this as one mitzvah, the same trumpets used to gather people for war and for sacrifices. Rav Moshe Feinstein said that this doesn't apply today, because the trumpets used for war must be the same ones used in the Beit HaMikdash. We see an incredible principle – wars to be fought are a spiritual endeavor, not something only for physical and security measures, they are something that stem from the deepest, spiritual principles. When we go out to war, we have to know that the trumpets calling us to war are the same trumpets used in the Beit HaMikdash, as an extension of the service of Hashem. The harsh and tragic reality of war is the need to fight for our values, to defend the values that are most important to us.
In addition, every time we take out and put back the Torah, we read the verses from this week's parasha – the verses said when the Jewish people go out to war and take the Aron out with them. From this we see the values of Hashem that are defended in war are not only the survival of the Jewish people but also the values that we believe in. Therefore, we see the battles of the Jewish people are the battles of G-d. It is a battle against the barbaric, dark values by those who portray the beauty and G-dliness of life. | | Behaalotecha 5784 Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon,
Nasi of World Mizrachi | | | It's a "50-50" Proposition Rabbi Stewart Weiss
 The Torah, as we know, is subject to wide-ranging interpretation: "As a hammer striking an anvil emits 70 sparks," says the Midrash, "so can one find 70 different meanings to every sentence, every word, even every letter within the Torah."
I get this; the untold number of different commentaries on the Torah dissect every part of every pasuk so as to mine golden messages and hidden secrets. But in our Sedra, there is a unique phenomenon that is puzzling in the extreme: 2 p'sukim (10:35-36), containing the words that we say when the Torah is taken out of the Aron and when it's put back (Vay'hi binsoa & Uv'nucha Yomar) are surrounded by upside-down, floating nuns. Huh? What is this all about?
Rashi suggests that this small section doesn't really belong here, but it serves to "break up" the long list of complaints (the lack of water; the shortage of meat; the taste of the Mahn, etc) that appear in this sedra. The Rav posits that the Torah could actually have ended here, and the nation enter Israel immediately, if not for our descent into bickering and belly-aching. And so this section marks the break between what could have been, and what is.
But why davka these 2 p'sukim? And what's with the "flying nuns" (who remembers that show?!)? I see in this bizarre item a striking connection to our present situation.
We were sailing along majestically in Israel; we had everything: a marvelous, beautiful country with a strong economy; a mighty army, kosher hotels from coast to coast andexpanding relations with once-hostile neighbors. And then, on Oct. 7, it all literally blew up in our faces. The twin nuns of nifla'ot (wonders) and nisim (miracles) suddenly turned upside down, as our world went topsy-turvy. The cry to Hashem in this first pasuk, "Hashem, scatter your enemies, make those who hate You run away" became frighteningly, desperately real.
The intra-Jewish fighting, the caustic rhetoric of opposing sides sweeping the country prior to October 7 resulted in a tragic tear of our national fabric, inviting the enemy to take advantage of our weakness, to sweep in across our borders and brutally attack us.
And now we must regroup, we must repair the rift that got us here, knowing that only when we are united, on the same page, can we hope to prevail upon Hashem to sustain the fragile existence we enjoy in this great land.
"Nun" equals 50 in Gematriya, so "nun-nun" is "50-50." Our survival hinges on our ongoing partnership with G-d; it is a "50-50 proposition" wherein we work together to repair the nuns and so effect the nisim and niflaot that power our presence. If we do that, then surely we will fulfill the second pasuk and Hashem will "rest tranquilly among the myriads of Israel." | | 
Devotion Sivan Rahav-Meir
 In this week's Torah portion, Beha'alotecha, the parsha opens with a mission that is not only about lighting, but about enlightening too. Aharon HaKohen receives a command: to light the Menorah. The Torah describes Aharon's response to this call to action in a few words: "And he did so." Rashi's comment highlights the significance of these simple words: "This is in praise of Aharon, that he did not deviate (from G-d's command)." Rashi also comments: "He is required to kindle the lamp until the flame rises on its own." Moreover, the Kohen Gadol cannot continue to the next lamp until the first lamp is properly lit.
What Aharon does, cannot be taken for granted and is deserving of praise. Aharon neither adds to G-d's command, nor takes anything away from it. He does not innovate and does not try an alternative approach. He neither enhances nor diminishes. "And he did so." With simplicity, with innocence, with devotion, with obedience. Recall that the first sin in the Garden of Eden, that of eating from the forbidden fruit, occurred because of an inability to be exact, to obey the clear instructions that were given.
Chani Weinrot of blessed memory expressed her understanding of the obligation of the lamplighter as follows: He has to work slowly, with patience, to light one lamp after the next, but not run ahead to the next lamp until the previous mission of lighting is complete. He does not jump between two different tasks at once.
In an era in which technology brings about more distractions all the time, constantly interrupting our focus, the lighting of the Menorah teaches us to move ahead one step at a time, with moderation, concentration, and rapt attention to the immediate task at hand. It also shows us that our regular routines might actually be the biggest innovation. Isn't the consistent observance of a mitzvah, after all, the truest spiritual challenge? And how many such missions await us in life, simply to be fulfilled in the proper way?
Another lesson our commentators explain is that when G-d tells Moshe to tell Aharon: "When you light the lamps…" we are meant to see this as a mission for all of us, to light a fire in ourselves and others that will lead to sustained, concentrated, consistent enthusiasm for meaningful activity throughout our lives.
Sivan Rahav-Meir is the World Mizrachi Scholar-in-Residence and an Israeli journalist and lecturer. She is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/speakers). | |  | | Chicago Mizrachi Pina Chama in Itamar
dedicated in honor of our
Chayalim Bodedim
Maintenance costs for the month of
Sivan 5784
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Joseph and Leah Ashman, z"l
by their children
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Bobbie and Jerry Nussbaum
Chami and Andy Gross
Avi and Wendy Ashman
| | | To watch and view the picture gallery of the Mizrachi Chicago Pina Chama in Itamar Dedication and Hachnasat Sefer Torah in the Shomron (July 30, 2023)
CLICK HERE | | | New right-wing central commander likely to be harder on Palestinian terrorism Israeli settlers have accused the last few IDF central commanders of spending too much time cracking down on Jewish violence versus Palestinian violence. Yonah Jeremy Bob  In a major development, Avi Bluth was promoted from the rank of brigadier general to major general as part of taking over the critical post of Central Command, which has responsibility for all of the West Bank.
Bluth replaces Yehuda Fuchs as central commander, with Fuchs having had tense relations with Israeli settlers.
Israeli settlers have accused Fuchs as well as the last few IDF central commanders of spending too much time cracking down on Jewish violence versus Palestinian violence.
Settler violence
In contrast, most of the world and even some Israeli political groups have said that the IDF has done too little to crack down on Jewish violence against Palestinians and argued that Palestinian West Bank terrorism will only be managed by a mix of force and a diplomatic horizon.
Bluth is known as being more right-wing than Fuchs and other previous central commanders and grew up in the West Bank settlement of Neve Tzuf.
He was previously one of Fuch's top deputies, during which time he cracked down heavily on Palestinian terrorism.
Also, he served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military secretary. jpost.com
Avi Bluth is the son of Efraim and Shoshana (a"h) Bluth.
Efraim served as Shliach Aliya in Chicago in the early 1990s.
| | Preventing another October 7: A look into the daily life of Israel's border soldiers Since October 7, Israeli border soldiers have caught 4,000 illegal residents including 150 impersonating citizens, and thwarted multiple terrorist attacks.  Vigilance is essential for soldiers stationed at border crossings, especially given that, among the tens of thousands of people arriving at checkpoints every day, some will be attempting to cross illegally, noted an interview with IDF soldiers on Wednesday.
One second of inattention could lead to infiltration of a hostile party or illegal resident with the intention of harming Israeli citizens, said the soldiers.
During the interview, a checkpoint soldier, Sgt. Major Omer Yahav detected suspicious activity at the tunnel checkpoint leading to Jerusalem and ordered a vehicle to be stopped.
"To be a crossing fighter is to stand at a checkpoint around the clock, in any weather, at any time of the day, and with constant vigilance," said Sgt. Major Yahav.
Private Maayan Peretz, a soldier in the company, added: "You know how the day starts - but not how it will end or what you will face during the shift. You see everything here - money smuggling, illegal immigrants, and illegal residents."
At the checkpoint
The IDF established the police force's border crossing unit in 2004, following a wave of terrorism during the second intifada. Checkpoints were created to supervise critical areas and thwart terrorist attacks, said the IDF.
 "At the end of the day, IDF soldiers are the ones who decide who goes through the checkpoint and who doesn't," continued Peretz.
"In a few seconds, they must distinguish whether an entrance permit is fake or whether the person in the picture is not the one sitting in front of them. This includes 24/7 searches inside vehicles or during security checks."
The soldiers said they have seen a sharp increase in smuggling attempts since October 7. At the checkpoint at the Jerusalem entrance, the two soldiers interviewed have foiled several terrorist infiltrations in the last months alone.
Peretz and Yahav said they stopped a suspicious vehicle at the checkpoint on November 17. When they went to inspect it, three terrorists inside opened fire. The terrorists were killed by the soldiers, police, and Border Police. A large quantity of ammunition was found in their vehicle, preventing what could have been a major attack in Jerusalem, said the IDF.
Corporal Avraham Patna, one of the checkpoint soldiers who defended against the terrorists, was killed in the incident.
In a separate incident on March 13, Sergeant Yahav and Private Peretz saw a young man riding an electric bicycle who they thought looked suspicious.
"I stopped him," she told the interviewer, "but he pulled out a knife and started stabbing me."
The other soldiers acted quickly and killed the terrorist in under a minute.
Peretz returned to service after a month and a half. She calls her unit a family and says they embraced her on her return.
On May 12, a private ambulance was stopped at the Ofer checkpoint by Magav soldiers. The driver and his assistant, dressed as medical personnel, claimed they were responding to an emergency call but resisted routine checks such as providing ID. On inspection, the Border Police found eight Palestinians hidden inside the ambulance.
Since the start of the war, Border soldiers have intercepted over 1000 weapons, over 4000 illegal residents, 150 impersonators, and 2000 on suspicion of aiding terrorists, said the IDF.
Extensive training
The soldiers stressed attention to detail, as they must notice suspicious signs in vehicles, fake IDs, and people themselves.
 To prepare for this, they undergo basic combat training, advanced training, and certification as military police officers at the Bahad military base. This includes physical fitness training and courses on reading body language.
"I didn't really understand the role, and then I got here and found out how significant our work is," said private Peretz.
Major Gen. Yahav added: "When we know we prevented a major threat from entering Israeli territory and harming the residents - that is satisfaction."
The Jerusalem Post contacted a soldier for comment who wished to remain anonymous. "It's a lot of responsibility to see which vehicle or person will have killing intentions (sic)," he said. "If you let someone pass who has a gun and goes on to kill someone, you will feel guilt for the rest of your life." jpost.com | | | NPR Bends Over Backwards to Conceal the Real Reason There Isn't a Palestinian State Rachel O'Donoghue  "Why hasn't there been a Palestinian state?" was the question posed in a recent segment on NPR's flagship news show, All Things Considered.
Tasked with answering one of the thorniest questions in the Israel-Palestinian conflict was veteran journalist and NPR's International Affairs Correspondent, Jackie Northam.
Northam's opening statement served as a harbinger of the historical revisionism to come: "In mid-May, three European leaders took to the podium in a stand for Palestinians," she said.
It's mind-boggling that a respected veteran reporter could attempt to pass off such a contentious statement as journalistic observation. Is the "recognition" of a Palestinian state truly a "stand for Palestinians," as countless other partisan hacks would have us believe?
Anyone with a basic understanding of geopolitics can see that last month's stunt by the leaders of Spain, Ireland, and Norway is anything but a genuine effort towards peace.
First, it's important to note that these countries haven't so much as recognized a Palestinian state as they have conjured one.
Little thought has been given to the geographical boundaries of this new state, which, given the territorial disputes with Israel, is a rather critical point to have agreed upon.
And what about this new state's governance? Will Hamas or the Palestinian Authority be in charge? Will there even be elections?
Second, was this a stand for Palestinians or for Hamas? It's curious that Spain, Norway, and Ireland decided to recognize Palestinian statehood after the October 7 Hamas attacks, not before. If it looks like a reward for the October 7 massacre, that's because it is.
Northam then describes how the Palestinian fight for statehood dates back over 75 years, mentioning the Palestinian rejection and Jewish acceptance of the UN Partition Plan that would have created an independent Palestinian state alongside a Jewish one.
But what follows is a masterclass in historical fiction, rewriting facts to promote a completely false narrative.
She claims "fighting began in 1947 and again the following year," before "Arab states came to the Palestinians' aid."
So, according to NPR, a coalition of surrounding Arab states attempting to use their superior military might to annihilate the fledgling Jewish state is "coming to the Palestinians' aid."
She then fast-forwards to immediately after the 1967 war, suggesting it was almost used as a pretext for an Israeli land grab, because "settlers snatched more land, and for decades, the effort to create a Palestinian homeland faded."
According to Northam, this bleak situation persisted until the 1990s, when the Oslo Accords brought a "glimmer of hope."
To provide his "expert" opinion on this chapter of Israeli-Palestinian history, NPR invites Yousef Munayyer, the Executive Director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, who has previously advocated for the dissolution of the Jewish state as a solution to the conflict (not that NPR listeners would ever be clued into that little detail).
Munayyer dismisses the statehood proposals by the government under former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin as nothing more than "glorified autonomy for the Palestinians."
It's an act of journalistic malfeasance to mention both Yasser Arafat and the Oslo Accords without informing listeners about the Second Intifada or, indeed, Palestinian terrorism altogether.
Arafat turned down the plan that would have established a Palestinian state and instead launched a campaign of suicide bombings, stabbings, and rock attacks. This was a campaign of terrorism by Palestinians aimed at ordinary Israelis — women, men, and children –much like the October 7 massacre.
NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas war has, as we have previously highlighted, plumbed new depths of bias and journalistic ineptitude. NPR's latest offering on the elusiveness of Palestinian statehood is, unfortunately, no different.
algemeiner.com | | 
WATCH: A peek into Shin Bet operations in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7th The Shin Bet has been instrumental in the war against Hamas in Gaza, providing valuable intelligence and supporting IDF fighters in critical missions. worldisraelnews.com | | Failure of 'Rabbis Bill' shatters Haredi trust in PM, putting coalition on thin ice After Likud MKs rebel over contentious measure, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers accuse Netanyahu of being unable to keep party in line, doubt he can deliver on IDF draft bill Sam Sokol  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's late-night decision to remove a highly contentious bill bolstering the state-backed rabbinate from the Knesset agenda has shattered the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties' faith in his ability to advance their interests, threatening the stability of his increasingly narrow governing coalition.
The Shas-backed bill — which would have dramatically expanded the Chief Rabbinate's authority over the appointment of municipal rabbis — generated intense pushback from Likud lawmakers, with MKs Moshe Saada and Tally Gotliv promising to vote against it in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.
After initially moving to boot the two from the committee in favor of more compliant lawmakers, Netanyahu backtracked due to his inability to guarantee its passage. The move angered Shas, whose leader Aryeh Deri had reportedly threatened to bring down the government if the legislation was not brought to a vote.
"There is no coalition, there is no discipline, and the most frustrating thing is that Likud is a party made up of 35 separate factions," one Shas official told national broadcaster Kan, warning that "the complete dissolution of the coalition is only a matter of time."
In a subsequent statement, Shas declared that Saada and Gotliv's actions were "undermining the foundations of the coalition."
If passed into law, the so-called Rabbis Bill could cost taxpayers tens of millions of shekels annually in salaries for hundreds of new neighborhood rabbis employed by local municipalities. Critics of the bill charge that it would benefit the Shas party by providing jobs for its apparatchiks, who wield wide influence over the state-funded rabbinate.
 According to the Israel Hayom daily, during a phone call Tuesday night, Deri accused Netanyahu of losing control over his party, telling the prime minister that Likud's legislators "do whatever they want."
"Either there is a coalition or there isn't," Deri said, adding that "there has not been a government as bad for the ultra-Orthodox public" as the current one throughout the entire history of the state.
Netanyahu's inability to advance the measure has led to concerns among ultra-Orthodox lawmakers that he would be similarly unable to ensure the passage of a bill on mandatory military enlistment now being debated in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
If eventually approved, the measure would lower the current age of exemption from mandatory service for Haredi yeshiva students from 26 to 21 and "very slowly" increase the rate of ultra-Orthodox conscription. Critics of the measure say it would essentially enshrine Haredi exemptions from military service repeatedly struck down by Israel's highest courts.
 Economy Minister Nir Barkat became the second senior member of Likud on Wednesday to say he would vote against the bill without "fundamental changes."
Since the resignation of Benny Gantz's National Unity party from the government last week, Netanyahu's ruling coalition has held only 64 of the Knesset's 120 seats, a slim margin that has left his hold on power dependent on keeping all of its constituent parties happy.
Should Shas take its 11 seats to the opposition, or UTJ's seven-seat strong faction walk, new elections would likely ensue. While Netanyahu managed with the 64-strong majority for his first 10 months in power (and has survived with even smaller margins of error), now he is liable to face an electorate that could be eager to punish him and his allies for the failures of October 7 and its aftermath.
Speaking with The Times of Israel on Wednesday, United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Roth said that Netanyahu's about-face the previous evening highlighted the fact that the government had failed to live up to "many" of the promises made to UTJ when it agreed to join the Likud-led coalition in late 2022.
The coalition has "procrastinated constantly" on issues ranging from educational budgets to military exemptions, pushed off first because of the government's judicial overhaul push and later due to the war with Hamas.
"None of the agreements are being kept," Roth said, claiming that "Likud doesn't see UTJ as an equal partner in the coalition."
"UTJ has lost its trust and its will to be a part of this coalition. Right now I can't tell you what will be the straw that breaks the camel's back but we are definitely close to that. The question is will the Likud be able to deliver," Roth asked. "That is the only question and we've had enough, more than enough, of procrastinating and that's why we are reaching the end of the road."
 "Maybe in the future we will make agreements with the left and not with Likud," he added.
Even amid seething anger and distrust in Netanyahu felt by Haredi politicians, it is unlikely they would jeopardize the coalition so long as they can see the military enlistment bill through to passage.
Many ultra-Orthodox Jews see the state's attempts to regulate Haredi conscription into the military as an existential issue, and would not abandon their hopes of passing a bill keeping most exemptions in place just to punish Netanyahu over his inability to pad the rabbinate.
Even after the government slashed yeshiva funds in March in line with a High Court order, Haredi parties stayed in the coalition, with Roth arguing at the time that as long as the enlistment issue remained in play, there was "no actual benefit" to quitting.
However, with the Rabbis Bill failing and many in Likud vowing to oppose blanket draft exemptions, the foremost question in the minds of Haredi leaders now will be whether Netanyahu is actually able to fulfill any of his promises to them, and whether, in fact, their alliance with him still makes political sense. timesofisrael.com | | After spurning UPenn, donor gives $1 million to Jerusalem College of Technology Gavriel Fiske The Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) — Lev Academic Center has received a $1 million donation from US philanthropists Debra and David Magerman to expand their international programming for English speakers, the college announces.
The grant comes after David Magerman, a prolific donor to Jewish and Zionist causes, halted donations to the University of Pennsylvania in December over the administration's handling of antisemitism issues on campus.
"I had originally had a multimillion-dollar gift that was supposed to go to Penn, and I've decided to halt that gift. So instead of just saving the money, I decided to reinvest it in Israeli colleges… We're doing $1 million grants over five years to JCT, and we're looking to do similar programs with four other universities," Magerman told the eJewishphilanthropy site in an article this week.
The gift to JCT, made in partnership with the Magerman's Tzemach David Foundation, is to develop a new program where international students will take classes in English during the first years while simultaneously learning Hebrew, and then finish their degree learning in Hebrew, equipping the students "with the ability to integrate into the Hebrew-speaking workforce if they opt to remain in Israel," the statement says.
The Jerusalem College of Technology, which has some 5,000 students, "combines high-level academic degrees and rigorous Torah study" and focuses on teaching "high-tech engineering, industrial management, business administration and life and health sciences." The college's Selma Jelenek Nursing School has graduated half of Israel's working nurse practitioners, the college notes. timesofisrael.com | | Shocking: Final project at Israeli university honors Oct. 7th architect A final project in the School of Architecture at the Technion honors Hamas leader and architect of the October 7th massacre, Yahya Sinwar.  Students at the Technion's School of Architecture were astonished to discover a final project presented in an exhibition - the project, titled "One City, Two Nations," presents a timeline dealing with the events of the 2021 "Guardians of the Wall" operation in Lod. One of the photos shows Yahya Sinwar, under the title: "Hamas threatens to fire missiles at the Israeli government if they do not stop the violations at the Al Aqsa Mosque."
G (pseudonym), a student of architecture at the Technion, said: "While the Jewish students are not allowed to mention politics and present exhibitions that may 'hurt' the Arab students, the faculty chose to present an incendiary exhibition as a final project?! This is complete madness, a slap in the face of the bereaved families, families of the hostages, and the combat soldiers in the field. How could the faculty approve such a thing?"
Omar Dahan, coordinator of the Im Tirtzu Technion student branch commented: "Every time you think we have hit rock bottom for incitement in academia, something else comes along and we hit a new low. During a war, the faculty chooses to present an exhibition full of incitement, lies, and alternative facts about the events of Guardians of the Wall? The Minister of Education must intervene - the madness must stop. Zionism must return to Israeli academia!"
Shai Glick, CEO of Betselmo, said: "I call on the Technion to remove the inciting exhibition immediately. All the lecturers and heads of the faculty who approved it and all the students who participated in this exhibition must be permanently removed. I also call on the Israel Police to investigate all those involved and prosecute them criminally."
israelnationalnews.com | | Macron, French Jews call for action after antisemitic rape of 12-year-old girl French Education Minister Nicole Belloubet said on social media that the crime against the victim was abominable, and the response to such "barbarism" was "Justice, School, Republic." Michael Starr  French President Emmanuel Macron called on Education Minister Nicole Belloubet "to organize a discussion in all schools on the fight against antisemitism and racism, to prevent hate speech with serious consequences from infiltrating schools."
Belloubet said on social media that the crime against the victim was abominable, and the response to such "barbarism" was "Justice, School, Republic."
French Jewish groups expressed outrage on Tuesday following reports that a 12-year-old girl was raped because she was Jewish.
Collectif Nous Vivrons, an activist group, called for protests on Wednesday in response to a Le Parisien report that boys aged 12, 13, and 14 were arrested for beating and gang-raping the victim last Saturday because she had concealed her religion from her ex-boyfriend, one of the suspects.
"Why aren't you already on the street?" asked the activist group. "Because you have become accustomed to antisemitic crimes! When will you wake up?"
French Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia blamed radical-left parties for the rise in antisemitism in the country in a statement from the Conference of European Rabbis on Wednesday. He lambasted the Left for denying the atrocities of October 7, adding that "instead of calming the situation on the streets, it incites antisemitism, which leads to cases like the current rape affair."
Uptick in antisemitism in France
"This shocking case joins a long line of violent cases experienced by French Jews in recent months. We are witnessing an alarming increase in the rate of manifestations of antisemitism throughout France. If, in a normal year, we were used to seeing about 400 cases of violence against Jews, in just the three months after October, we witnessed almost 1,600 cases," said Korsia. "Jews are persecuted, raped, beaten, ostracized, and marked. We are no longer just fighting for the legitimacy of the State of Israel to protect its security; we are fighting for the protection of Jews around the world."
The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) on Wednesday urged authorities to shed more light on the circumstances and antisemitic motivation. The European Jewish Congress echoed the calls for more information and said that their "thoughts are with the victim and her family."
The Union of Jewish Students in France also offered support and said on X that "hatred of Israel leads to unsustainable antisemitic violence. Those who deny it are accountable for it."
According to Le Parisien, investigators found antisemitic comments and a picture of a burning Israeli flag on the ex-boyfriend's cell phone. A second minor allegedly told police that he beat the girl because she made negative remarks about "Palestine."
Fondation des Femmes said on social media on Wednesday that the sexist and antisemitic crime shook the women's rights organization.
"Rape is a tool of destruction in the service of hatred, and when children rape children, it is society as a whole that must ask itself the question of its responsibility in the face of violence, antisemitism, and misogyny at home," said the foundation.
jpost.com | | | | |
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