'Jews join BBC J'lem bureau'
A weekly look at the Jewish media around the globe. Also this week: Borat's secret use of Hebrew
"As the debate rages on over BBC bias in its Israel coverage, two Jewish journalists were this week appointed to join the corporation's reporting team in Jerusalem," Totally Jewish said.
"Tim Franks will take up the role of a Middle East correspondent while Katya Adler will leave her current posting in Madrid to become a Middle East reporter. A BBC spokesman told the Jewish News: 'Both are extremely experienced and talented correspondents who will continue the excellent work that is synonymous with the bureau.' He added: 'I also think it opportune to note that the recent Independent Panel set up by the BBC Board of Governors found no deliberate or systematic bias in the BBC's coverage of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.'"
'Zionism is disease' activist banned from school talk
In the United States, Boston's The Jewish Advocate newspaper reported that "the Anti-Defamation League of New England and members of the Jewish community joined forces to block a talk by Palestinian activists" at a local highschool."The cancellation incited outrage among many who believe the school's decision squashed the First Amendment rights of students and teachers," The Advocate said.
It added: "Joe Carr and Dr. Hassan Fouda from the Wisconsin-based Wheels of Justice were invited by six social studies teachers to speak to more than 200 students about their experiences in Iraq, the West Bank and Gaza, according to Thomas Meyers, president of the Andover Education Association and a social studies teacher at the school. 'I saw the resumes of these individuals … I thought (the Wheels of Justice's visit) would be a good experience for kids," said Meyers… 'I was very upset. It's important for students to hear both popular and unpopular beliefs so they can make up their own minds.'"
The Adcotate said that "the ADL stands firmly behind the school's decision. According to Andrew Tarsy, the ADL's New England regional director, the group provides a grossly distorted view of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. The ADL quotes on its Web site that Wheels of Justice speaker Mazin Qumsiyeh, a Yale University associate professor, said that Zionism is 'a disease' during a speech at Duke University in 2004."
New York: Talks between rabbi and imam break down
New York's The Jewish Week reported that talks between a rabbi and an imam, aimed at fostering dialogue in a New York synagogue, broke down. "Schneier of the New York Synagogue and Imam Omar Abu Namous of the Islamic Cultural Center urged that Jews and Muslims should put aside conflicts and reach out to each other," The Jewish Week said.
"But after Rabbi Schneier and moderator Joel Cohen pressed him on why more Muslims don't speak out against Islamic extremism, Abu Namous, leader of New York's largest mosque, unleashed a barrage of criticisms against Israel, at one point even questioning its legitimacy. The event rapidly deteriorated into a dialogue of the deaf."
Meanwhile, down under, the Australian Jewish News reported that "Jewish leaders were cautious this week in their condemnation of controversial Muslim cleric Sheikh Tajeddin al-Hilaly, who is facing widespread pressure to stand down for denigrating women in a recent sermon."
"Sheikh Hilaly, who has taken indefinite leave from his position but has yet to resign as either imam of
Sydney's Lakemba Mosque or Mufti of Australia, last week sparked national outrage for accusing immodestly-dressed women of inviting sexual assault. But while Jewish community leaders joined the chorus criticising Sheikh Hilaly's comments, they warned the furore might not be the end of his controversial reign as Australia's most senior Muslim cleric," the AJN said.
"Jewish author and feminist Yvonne Fein described Sheikh Hilaly's comments as 'prehistoric' and 'primitive.'
Attempts by the imam to explain his comments as only referring to prostitutes were 'a complete disaster,' she said," AJN added.
"He's got a lot to answer for even bringing this issue up. We just don't live in those times anymore," Fein said.
Borat's secret use of Hebrew
Back in Britain, the Jewish Chronicle's Alex Kasriel asks if Borat and his new film, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," are being over-hyped.
"Industry insiders suggest that this is among the most controlled promotional campaigns in movie history, promoting the most hyped film certainly in recent memory. But are there risks for the filmmakers in achieving such PR saturation? Can film-goers fully enjoy a movie after so much of it has been trailed and over-hyped in advance?" Asked Kasriel.
The also article notes that Sacha Baron Cohen, the Jewish comedian who plays Borat, uses Hebrew in his new film. "Borat proclaims that Jews are his country's mortal enemies, and he admiringly refers to Mel Gibson an "anti-Jew warrior." Strange then, that Borat speaks Hebrew. In the film, before heading off to the US and A, the antisemitic Kazakh reporter tells a fellow Kazakh in his own language: 'Doltan, I'll get you a new arm in America.' But what he actually says is: 'I'll buy you some kind of a new arm" — and the language is Hebrew.'"
"It is not the first time Sacha Baron Cohen has displayed his knowledge of Hebrew. He once revealed in an interview that he used a clipboard with Hebrew prompts on it when he did interviews for the Borat television series. He said: 'I wrote it in a Hebrew script that could look foreign to most people. Unfortunately we once did Borat with someone who turned out to be Israeli, so at that point I had to scribble it all out.'"
