Latest news with #NathanThrall
Axios
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Arkansas' antisemitic incidents dip in for 2024
The number of antisemitic incidents in Arkansas dropped from 25 in 2023 to 23 the following year, according to research from the Anti-Defamation League. But the incidents are up sharply from 2022 when just seven were reported. Why it matters: Antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, which became a flashpoint on college campuses and a pretext for the Trump administration to later threaten college funding and revoke visas for students. State of play: The number of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. has surged almost 900% in 10 years, and last year reached its highest level recorded in nearly half a century, the annual survey from the ADL released last week found. The big picture: Some Jewish leaders have warned that President Trump 's invocation of antisemitism to justify slashing college funds and deporting student protesters risks making Jewish people scapegoats for his policies. Those policies come as conservatives have urged colleges to adopt rules to combat antisemitism on the left but have largely remained silent about antisemitism on the right. Zoom in: A law prohibiting antisemitism in Arkansas' public schools was enacted earlier this month. It followed a series of laws against antisemitism that state legislators have sponsored in recent years. A 2017 law prohibits state agencies from doing business with or investing in companies that boycott Israel. As a result, Jewish American writer Nathan Thrall, who supports Palestinian rights, opted to not speak at the University of Arkansas in 2023. In 2021, then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed Act 611, requiring educators to include Holocaust history in their curricula and other legislation in 2023 sought to mandate education about the Holocaust. By the numbers: The annual ADL audit recorded 9,354 incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism across the country in 2024. The total represents a 5% increase from 2023 (the last record-setting year) and an 893% jump over the past 10 years. It's the highest level recorded since ADL started tracking this data in 1979. The 12-month total for 2024 averaged more than 25 targeted anti-Jewish incidents in the U.S. per day, more than one an hour. A majority of all incidents (58%) were related to Israel, the survey found. More than 6,500 incidents involved harassment language that includes antisemitic slurs, stereotypes or tropes. More than 2,600 incidents involved vandalism, defined as cases where property was damaged, such as graffiti of Swastikas or arson. The ADL also recorded 1,694 antisemitic incidents on college campuses, which is 84 percent higher than in 2023. Caveat: The ADL said it did not count criticism of Israel as an antisemitic incident, but did count incidents as antisemitic if someone called for the destruction of Israel or used antisemitic tropes in discussing Israel.
Arab News
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Israel's violations of Palestinian culture in East Jerusalem
While Israel has been accused of war crimes and alleged genocidal intentions in Gaza, as well as enacting a harsh and repressive military policy against Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank, East Jerusalem has become a focal point for ongoing Israeli cultural violations affecting Palestinians. These actions in the hoped-for capital of Palestine have sparked international concern, as they threaten the preservation of Palestinian identity and heritage in the area. Jerusalem, the cradle of the three Abrahamic religions, has long been a cultural and religious hub for Palestinians. It is home to highly respected cultural institutions, artists and scholars. While Israel, which annexed East Jerusalem following its occupation in 1967, initially gave its residents a wide range of cultural space, the Oslo process that began in 1993 caused a major Israeli reversal. In addition to the huge concrete wall Israel erected around the city, barring the rest of the West Bankers open access to the city, it has also cracked down on various symbols of cultural expression. Using the false claim of connectivity to the Palestinian national center in Ramallah, Israeli policies have increasingly restricted Palestinian cultural activities, often under the guise of security concerns. Palestinian cultural events have routinely faced disruption. The Israeli authorities have imposed restrictions on festivals, performances and artistic gatherings, severely limiting the ability of Palestinians to celebrate and preserve their cultural identity. Palestinian cultural institutions in East Jerusalem have experienced frequent raids and closures. In June 2013, Israel ordered the cancellation of a children's puppet festival at a Palestinian theater in East Jerusalem, claiming the eight-day event had been unlawfully sponsored by the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian National Theatre, also known as El-Hakawati Theatre, had been running an annual festival for children continuously for 18 years. It was previously barred by a military order based on the 1945 British Emergency Regulations. Similar orders have been issued to stop what Israel considers national events, or if Tel Aviv believes that the Ramallah-based Palestinian government is involved in either funding, sponsoring or giving its blessing to such events. Using draconian decades-old laws inherited from the time of the British mandate, Israel has ordered the stoppage of events such as art exhibitions, music festivals and even the screening of a film about drug abuse in Jerusalem and an event to celebrate high school students' accomplishments. More recently, this month's raid on the Educational Bookshop and its owners' arrest illustrate the ongoing Israeli attempts to suppress intellectual freedom by confiscating literature deemed provocative. As Nathan Thrall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, commented regarding the bookstore incident: 'To have a country ban books with the word Palestine in them is an outrage.' Palestinian Minister of Culture Emad Hamdan emphasized the impact of the bookshop raid. 'This attack is part of a systematic policy aimed at destroying the Palestinian cultural and educational structure in Jerusalem. These actions not only hinder cultural expression but also aim to fragment Palestinian society within Jerusalem,' he said. Cultural leaders and intellectuals frequently face harassment and arrest. These acts are perceived as attempts to silence influential voices advocating for Palestinian rights and cultural preservation. As writer and cultural consultant Rania Masri noted: 'The suppression of cultural expression is not just a violation of rights; it is an attack on the very fabric of Palestinian identity.' Such measures contribute to a climate of fear and self-censorship, discouraging public expressions of Palestinian identity. Israeli policies have increasingly restricted Palestinian cultural activities, often under the guise of security concerns The cultural violations in East Jerusalem have drawn international condemnation from human rights organizations, diplomats and academics. Many argue that these actions violate international laws protecting cultural rights and heritage. The organization Index on Censorship called this month's arrest of the booksellers a 'brazen attack on freedom of expression.' It called for immediate action to halt the oppressive measures and advocate for the protection of Palestinian cultural and intellectual freedom. Despite these adversities, Palestinians in East Jerusalem are striving to preserve their cultural heritage. Community organizations, artists and intellectuals continue to find innovative ways to express their identity, often supported by international solidarity movements. As celebrated Palestinian musician Omar Kamal remarked: 'In the face of oppression, our art becomes a powerful declaration of our existence.' The ongoing cultural violations against Palestinians in East Jerusalem highlight a significant challenge: the preservation of a community's identity in the face of systemic suppression. While the dream of an independent Palestinian state continues to be quashed by Israeli actions, the artist community has been a major source of hope. Addressing these issues is essential not only for the sake of cultural heritage, but also for ensuring that fundamental human rights and freedoms are upheld. Such measures contribute to a climate of fear and self-censorship, discouraging public expressions of Palestinian identity As the international community continues to watch, the hope remains that renewed efforts will advocate for a more just and culturally inclusive future for all of Palestine, as well as for its people and its proposed capital, East Jerusalem. - Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of 'State of Palestine NOW: Practical and logical arguments for the best way to bring peace to the Middle East.' X: @daoudkuttab
