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SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | TISHRI 18, 5782 | VOLUME 74, NUMBER 2
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Arizona divests Israel looks to American Jews for social from Ben & Jerry’s media support citing ‘antisemitic, J discriminatory efforts against Israel’ NICOLE RAZ | STAFF WRITER
NICOLE RAZ | STAFF WRITER
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rizona is the first state to divest completely from Ben & Jerry’s following its decision to stop selling ice cream in Israel’s West Bank. “As Arizona’s chief banking and investment officer, I stand with Israel and I will not allow taxpayer dollars to go towards antisemitic, discriminatory efforts against Israel,” State Treasurer Kimberly Yee said Sept. 7. Yee announced her candidacy for governor of Arizona on May 17. As of June 30, Arizona had $143 million worth of investments — in the form of bonds and commercial paper — in Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s parent company. But it was zero as of Sept. 21, when the last investment in Unilever matured. Ben & Jerry’s announced July 19 that it would continue operating in Israel, but would stop selling ice cream in the West Bank, which the company described as “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” Israel disputes that designation. Arizona is among 33 states that have passed laws or issued executive orders targeting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, according to a database maintained by Lara Friedman on behalf of the Foundation for Middle East Peace and Americans for Peace Now, groups that oppose the anti-boycott legislation. Arizona’s 2016 law states that public state SEE DIVESTS, PAGE 2
acob Gimbel, like many American Jews, is still reeling from the social media posts he saw during May’s violence between Israel and Hamas. “Social media started blowing up,” said Gimbel, 17. He never before saw such “widespread hating against Israel” on his Instagram feed, with some posts even being antisemitic. The Phoenix teen took action and began engaging with people posting content he felt was factually inaccurate. Sometimes he knew them, like his classmates, and sometimes he didn’t. “I made a point to go and talk to them about it,” he said. “There have been times I have been blocked or unfollowed by kids at my school, but the fact about what was happening was an important point I wanted to clear up with the people around me.” Gimbel is an example of the “soldiers on the ground” in the United States that Israel needs more of, according to Hillel Newman, Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest of the United States. During a visit to Arizona with Jewish community leaders in late July, Newman said social media is a powerful tool in combating the “ongoing attack on the legitimacy of Israel,” and Israel needs the help of American Jews, especially young American Jews, to help counter misinformation. “It’s not for Israel to do everything; there are some things that other people should do to support SEE ISRAEL, PAGE 3 Israel,” he said.
Dome of The Rock and Western Wall, Temple Mount, PHOTO BY RAY IN MANILA IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY 2.0 Jerusalem
Lox in a box On Sept. 12, the Bureau of Jewish Education in Greater Phoenix delivered lox, bagels and more to around 100 people to kick off its 50th anniversary. To read more, go to p. 6. PHOTO BY PAUL ROCKOWER
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