Jewish News Today: Nobel Peace Prize Controversy, Green Party Antisemitism Probe, and Campus Attacks on Oct. 7 Memorials

Jewish communities across the diaspora are confronting a cluster of serious developments this Saturday: the selection of former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay for the Nobel Peace Prize has drawn sharp condemnation from Jewish organisations; the UK's government adviser on antisemitism has called for a formal investigation into the Green Party; and on American campuses, Oct. 7 memorials were desecrated and a flag was burned outside an Oregon Hillel. Separately, bomb threats were made against two Orthodox Jewish schools in Brooklyn.

Nobel Peace Prize: Pillay Selection Condemned by Jewish Groups

The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has provoked widespread anger in the Jewish world. B'nai B'rith International said it was "appalled and dismayed" by the choice, describing Pillay as someone with a "longstanding animus to the Jewish state" and calling the award "not only unwarranted but offensive and damaging." The organisation warned, according to JNS, that the selection "cheapens the world's leading prize for peacemaking and further reinforces a sense of isolation by Jews."

Writing for JNS, columnist Ruthie Blum argued that honouring Pillay "highlights the moral rot of the United Nations and Nobel Committee." The Jewish Chronicle's opinion pages echoed this, stating that Pillay's record — described as including playing down antisemitic remarks and levelling accusations of genocide against Israel — makes her selection "a disgrace."

UK: Government Antisemitism Adviser Calls for EHRC Probe into Green Party

In a significant development in the ongoing row over the Green Party's "Zionism is racism" motion, Lord Mann — the government's independent adviser on antisemitism — has called for an investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into the party, the Jewish Chronicle reports exclusively. Lord Mann accused Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski of "running away" from his party's own debate on the motion.

The pressure on the Greens is also coming from within local government. Labour MPs Sarah Sackman, Dan Tomlinson and David Pinto-Duschinsky have written to Barnet Green councillor Charli Thompson, demanding she explain her support for the "alienating" motion and asking her to reconcile it with her "duty to represent a diverse community," according to the Jewish Chronicle.

Andy Burnham has also called out the Greens' anti-Zionism, though a Jewish Chronicle opinion piece questions whether Labour's own record on Israel — including sanctions against Jerusalem — makes the government a more consequential actor than opposition parties who can "only shout."

London: Metropolitan Police Defends Mask Policy Ahead of Anti-Israel March

With another anti-Israel march expected in London, the Metropolitan Police has pushed back against accusations of "two-tier policing," telling JNS that officers "are experienced in policing marches and the differing groups who attend and will use their judgment on why a person is wearing a mask and what action is" appropriate. The response follows sustained criticism from Jewish community groups over perceived inconsistency in how police enforce rules at such demonstrations.

Campus Incidents: Flag Burned at Oregon Hillel, Memorial Trampled at New Mexico

On the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, protesters burned a flag on the lawn of the Oregon Hillel Foundation. Lenny Steinberg, the organisation's executive director, said in a statement reported by JNS: "We expect the University of Oregon to hold students, faculty and staff responsible for intimidation and hate speech." He added that "Oregon Hillel is not going anywhere."

At the University of New Mexico, a non-Jewish student who built an Oct. 7 memorial reported that fellow students trampled it. Lawrence Puccini told JNS he was "a little rattled but not discouraged," adding: "We tried to make it clear to them that this is a memorial that was built for those who died in a horrible terrorist attack."

At the University of Michigan, Hillel International described a local chapter's decision to break with Israeli advocacy groups as "a local, programmatic decision." Seth Mendel of CAMERA told JNS: "If Michigan Hillel wants to remain the center of Jewish life on campus, it cannot retreat from one of the central and challenging parts of being Jewish there."

Brooklyn: Bomb Threats at Two Orthodox Jewish Schools

The NYPD responded to bomb threats at two Orthodox Jewish schools in Brooklyn, issuing an all-clear after searches were completed. The department told JNS: "No injuries have been reported and there are no arrests." No further details about the nature of the threats were provided in the source material.

Germany: AfD Official Attempts to Attend Halle Attack Memorial

In Germany, the Jüdische Allgemeine reports that Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, the far-right AfD vice-president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, attempted on Friday to attend the memorial ceremony for the victims of the far-right terrorist attack on the Halle synagogue, which took place on 9 October 2019. The incident is described as causing a public scandal. No further details of what occurred at the ceremony are provided by the source.

US Political Landscape: Senate Debates and Israel

Several US Senate debates this week have placed Israel at the centre of political argument. In New Jersey, Senator Cory Booker described a US-Israeli conflict with Iran as "colossally stupid," saying "One clear issue that New Jerseyans are paying for is that Israel and the United States decided to go to war with Iran," according to JNS. His Republican challenger Justin Murphy, meanwhile, said former President Trump should be tougher on "settlers."

In Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed declined to say whether Iran was a worse threat than Israel, and would not commit to sending defensive weapons to the Jewish state, JNS reports. President Trump, quoted in the same article, called his Republican opponent Mike Rogers a "great American patriot" who had "completely obliterated" El-Sayed in the debate.

In Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff — in a separate debate — stopped short of using the word "genocide" but stated: "There is no doubt in my mind that Israeli forces prosecuting the war in Gaza violated the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law," JNS reports. This represents a notable sharpening of language from the Jewish Georgia Democrat.

Wisconsin: Green Party Candidate Arrested in Antisemitic Confrontation

Matthew Arndt, a Wisconsin Green Party candidate, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct as a hate crime after allegedly confronting an Israeli man who had an anti-Hamas bumper sticker on his car, JNS reports. No further details about the altercation are provided in the source.

US: ICC Sanctioned in Full

The United States has imposed sanctions on the entire International Criminal Court, JNS reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by stating: "The ICC is not a court. It is a political body that poses a mortal threat to law-abiding democracies worldwide and to the very idea of national sovereignty."

UK: A Milestone in the Legal Profession

On a more positive note for the British Jewish community, the Jewish Chronicle reports that solicitor Jeff Lewis is in line to become the first Jewish president of the Law Society in over 50 years, with the appointment due to take effect in 2028. Lewis described it as "a great honour."

Off-Broadway: Controversy Over Anne Frank Satire

A new Off-Broadway production titled "Slam Frank," which takes Anne Frank as its subject, is drawing accusations of antisemitism from Jewish commentators. Writing for JNS, Jonathan S. Tobin argues that while the show "claims it's an equal-opportunity offender" and mocks "theater hits and identity politics," it is in fact "deadly serious about demonizing Jews." The piece frames the production as an example of what Tobin calls "woke antisemitism" — hostility to Jews dressed in the language of progressive satire.

Pittsburgh Shooting Survivor Speaks on Community Security

Audrey Glickman, a survivor of the Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting, has participated in a Secure Community Network initiative to record survivor testimonies focused on security preparedness. She told JNS: "If somebody listens to our stories and gets themselves the training, then go for it," adding that preparing for the worst lets you "go on and live your life." The initiative, which recorded ten participants, is aimed at encouraging Jewish communities to take practical security steps.

Sources

Back to Jewish News

SHOP BY CATEGORY

Israel War Winner Israel tee in Black - front view
Men
J.E.W.I.S.H. Jewish pride t-shirt in Lavender - front view
Women
Be aware jewish mother Jewish pride kids sweatshirt in Sport Grey - front view
Kids
FCK HMS Jewish pride tough case for iphone® in Matte - front view
Accessories