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Fathom Highlight | A minority Govt to end Israel's political deadlock + a modern ritual murder libel / 12 November / 2019

Our Fathom Highlight this week features three pieces. Assaf Shapira argues that the Israelis should embrace a minority government reliant on outside support as a way to break the political deadlock and avoid a third round of elections. David Gurevich’s fascinating essay reflects on the construction of contemporary antisemitic blood libels by examining the case of the supposedly ‘ritualistic’ murder of Saint Philoumenos by ‘fanatical Zionists’ in 1979. Azriel Bermant reviews The Impact of Zionism and Israel on Anglo-Jewry’s Identity 1948-1982: Caught Somewhere Between Zion and Galut by Jack Omer-Jackaman.

Our Image of the Week is firefighters extinguishing a forest fire in Tzur Hadassah, 10 November.

Our Voice of the Week is Dave Rich discussing antisemitism in the British Labour Party at an Indiana University Conference entitled ‘Contending with antisemitism in a changing political climate’, Bloomington, 23-27 March.

The case for a Minority Government to end the deadlock in Israel

by Assaf Shapira

Assaf Shapira of the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) argues that if the choice is between a minority government and another round of elections, the former is the better option. Israel is in a political quagmire. After two general elections the two largest factions in the Knesset, Likud and Blue-White, are finding it difficult to assemble (separately or in partnership) a government that enjoys the support of a Knesset majority – that is, at least 61 of its 120 members. This...

Voice of the Week

Image of the Week

The ‘Martyrdom’ of Saint Philoumenos: the anatomy of a modern antisemitic ritual murder libel
by David Gurevich

During the medieval epoch, Christian antisemitism spread the libel that Jews engaged in the ritual murder of non-Jews, supposedly mutilating the bodies and draining the...

Book Review | The Impact of Zionism and Israel on Anglo-Jewry’s Identity 1948-1982: Caught Somewhere Between Zion and Galut
by Azriel Bermant

Jack Omer-Jackaman’s book could not be more timely given the challenge facing Diaspora Jewry today, with heightened concerns over the rise in antisemitism in Europe...

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