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Trump says U.S. will withdraw from Iran nuclear deal

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President Donald Trump announcing his decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, May 8, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump announcing his decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, May 8, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump announcing his decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, May 8, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) – U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not waive sanctions on Iran by a deadline Saturday, effectively pulling out of the Iran deal.

“I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal,” Trump said, speaking at the White House Tuesday. “In a few moments, I will sign a presidential memorandum to reinstate nuclear sanctions on the Iranian regime.” [Read more…]

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J.K. Rowling is giving a master class in identifying anti-Semitism and it’s magical

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J.K. Rowling attends the 70th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) at Royal Albert Hall in London, Feb. 12, 2017. (John Phillips/Getty Images)

(JTA) – There’s an unsettling debate underway in Britain about whether the right or the left is more anti-Semitic, and videos of Jewish members of Parliament reading out some of the anti-Semitic invective they’ve suffered have gone viral.

J.K. Rowling, the non-Jewish author of the Harry Potter series, decided to weigh in on Wednesday, defining anti-Semitism for her 14.4 million Twitter followers. [Read more…]

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‘Three Billboards’ film inspires activist to shame British Labour Party for anti-Semitism

(JTA) – Inspired by an Oscar-nominated American film, activists against anti-Semitism in Britain raised thousands of dollars for erecting three billboards outside the headquarters of the Labour Party.

Days after setting up an appeal for donations on an online crowd-funding platform, the Community United against Labour Party Antisemitism, or Culpa, group raised $4,860 US out of their goal of $6,300 US for the sign campaign outside Labour’s headquarters on London’s Victoria Street. The money came from approximately 100 donors. [Read more…]

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Anti-Semitic incidents in Britain hit record high for second consecutive year

(JTA) – The number of anti-Semitic attacks recorded in the United Kingdom rose slightly in 2017, marking a new record for the second straight year, but saw a significant gain in violent assaults.

The 1,382 cases recorded in the annual report of the Community Security Trust, or CST, which is British Jewry’s largest watchdog on anti-Semitism, represented a three per cent increase in 2017 over the previous year. [Read more…]

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Amnesty International UK ‘targeting Jewish community,’ British Jewish group alleges

(JTA) – The main umbrella group of British Jews accused its local branch of Amnesty International of targeting the community following the abrupt cancellation of a joint event.

The accusation by the Jewish Leadership Council – a charity founded 15 years ago comprising 32 groups with different politics, including the Board of Governors of British Jews, the Jewish World Relief aid organization and several synagogues – came Monday following the cancellation of an event concerning Israel and the United Nations. [Read more…]

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Jews reportedly barred from UK campus lecture on Israel’s ‘reproductive sabotage’

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(JTA) – A British university distanced itself from faculty accused of barring Jews from a public lecture that they organized on campus about Israel’s alleged “reproductive sabotage” against Arabs.

A spokesman for the University of Warwick, located 90 miles northwest of London, said Wednesday’s event “was organized by group of researchers and students” and “was not organized by the University.” The university has received a complaint concerning the alleged barring by the university’s  Lisa Tilley of at least three Jews from the event, which was advertised as open to the public, the spokesman also said. [Read more…]

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Family donates British Holocaust hero’s medals at Ottawa ceremony

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A portrait of Frank Foley, his service medals, and other documents on display at the residence of the British high commissioner is Ottawa, during a ceremony at which the medals were donated to the United Kingdom by Canadian members of Foley’s family. (Corina Hernandez-Munoz)
A portrait of Frank Foley, his service medals, and other documents on display at the residence of the British high commissioner is Ottawa, during a ceremony at which the medals were donated to the United Kingdom by Canadian members of Foley’s family. (Corina Hernandez-Munoz)

A portrait of Frank Foley, his service medals, and other documents on display at the residence of the British high commissioner is Ottawa, during a ceremony at which the medals were donated to the United Kingdom by Canadian members of Foley’s family. (Corina Hernandez-Munoz)

Frank Foley (1884-1958) was a British Secret Intelligence Service officer who served as passport control officer at the British embassy in Berlin in the 1930s.

Between Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938 and the outbreak of the Second World War on September 3, 1939, Foley was instrumental in helping thousands of Jewish families escape from Nazi Germany. For his actions in saving Jewish lives, Foley was recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations in 1999.

At a ceremony held in Ottawa on November 27 at Earnscliffe, the residence of the British high commissioner, Foley’s service medals were donated to the United Kingdom by Canadian members of Foley’s family. [Read more…]

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‘Jewish’ left off as religious category in British students’ survey

(JTA) – The president of Britain’s National Union of Students (NUS) apologized after the option of identifying as Jewish was left off a student survey for the second time.

A question about students’ religions on a survey sent out last week, as on a survey in July, gave as options: “Buddhist,” “Christian,” “Hindu,” “Muslim,” “Sikh,” “Spiritual,” “Agnostic,” “Atheist,” “Any other religion or belief,” “Other” and “Prefer not to say.” [Read more…]

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