INTERNATIONAL
PAGE 12
The Jewish Voice
Russia Unfazed by US Election Hacking Hearings By: Charles Maynes
MARCH 24, 2017
Prague's Old-New Synagogue Gets First New Torahs Since WW II Prague's medieval Old-New Synagogue receives two new Torah scrolls, which were written in Israel and funded by donations; These are the first to enter the Synagogue since World War II
I
f much of the United States was transfixed by the Congressional testimony of two of America’s top intelligence officials on allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. elections, the Kremlin claimed it had better things to do. “We have many concerns in the Kremlin and following that [debate] isn’t one of them,” said Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “New information we’re not hearing and doubtfully will hear,” said Peskov, who went on to compare the hearings to a “broken record” being played ad nauseam. "It’s an internal American issue ... our relationship to all this hysteria is well known.” During testimony before the House Intelligence Committee Monday, FBI Director James Comey confirmed his agency is investigating Russian attempts to interfere in the U.S. election, including whether President Donald Trump's campaign aides criminally colluded with Russian interests to help Trump win.
By: Walter Metuth
P
rague's medieval OldNew Synagogue received two new Torah scrolls on Sunday, the first ones since World War II shattered the country's once-thriving Jewish community. The Torahs, funded by donations to the Prague Jewish community, were written in Israel and brought into the synagogue President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov speaks to in a ceremony that included The Associated Press in Moscow scripting of the final letters by There was Vladimir Putin outside to blame.” The Russian guests and members of the comlast September insisting that leader went on to note that munity, and a street dance. Prague's medieval Old-New Synagogue received two new "After years when Torahs Torah scrolls on Sunday, the first ones since World War II “Russia on a state level has nev- Democratic candidates lost big er practiced” cyber intrusions. in election contests in the Con- were being destroyed, burnt ... shattered the country's once-thriving Jewish community. Putin also insisted the contents gress and Senate as well. “Is that also our work, my the community today celebrates of hacked emails were a public work?” asked Putin. with its rabbi a new Torah scroll service. after many, many years. That is There was spokesman Peskov, the best expression of the delast October, calling allegations Yahoo velopment of the Prague Jewish of Russian hacking of DemJust last week, the Kremlin community," said deputy head ocratic National Committee was at it again, denying U.S. of the Jewish Community of (DNC) computer infrastructure charges that Russian intelliPrague, Frantisek Banyai. simply “nonsense.” gence agents were involved in The Old-New Synagogue is And there was Putin, in his the hacking of millions of Yahoo over 700 years old, one of the annual news conference last users email accounts. oldest existing synagogues in December, dismissing allegaSpokesman Peskov said RusNyet, Nyet, and Europe. Apart from its signifitions Russian hacking tipped sia had only learned of the inNyet Again cance to the community, it is the the election in Trump’s favor or dictments of its agents and two main attraction of Prague's JewThe Kremlin has been noth- colluded with Trump campaign other men through the media, ish Town, a popular destination and hoped U.S. officials would The Torahs, funded by donations to the Prague Jewish community, ing if not consistent in its re- officials along the way. for visitors. Democrats who accuse Rus- soon shed light on the charges. were written in Israel and brought into the synagogue in a sponse to the allegations emaceremony that included scripting of the final letters by guests and nating from Washington. In a sia of such allegations, said PuSee Russia Unfazed by US , page 37 See Prague's Old-New , page 38 tin, “are looking for someone members of the community, and a street dance word: deny.
Watchdog Group Salutes U.N. Chief for Deleting Israel 'Apartheid' Slur Edited by: JV Staff
T
he organization known as UN Watch last week welcomed the resignation by Rima Khalaf from her post as head of a Beirut-based UN agency comprised of 18 Arab states, after what she described as pressure from secretary-general Antonió Guterres to withdraw a report accusing Israel of "apartheid." The report appears to have been deleted as of last week from the U.N. ESCWA agency's website. As revealed by UN Watch, the author of the report was disgraced ex-UN official Richard Falk, who had been denounced on repeated occasions by former UN chief Ban Ki-moon and other world leaders for espousing
9/11 conspiracy theories, blaming the U.S. and Israel for the Boston Marathon bombing, and spreading anti-Semitism. UN Watch called on the British government to consider whether under law Richard Falk should be expelled from the UK, where he is now lecturing, on account of his having been denounced three times by the UK government for racism. Earlier this week, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley welcomed remarks by Guterres' spokesman distancing himself from the report, but she demanded that the UN "withdraw the report altogether." "Guterres deserves credit for doing the right thing," said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer."But there is no question
that the initial moral voice here was that of U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley, and that it was U.S. leverage which prompted the UN to act." ABOUT RICHARD FALK, author of the UN report: 1) Falk Blamed Boston Terror Attacks on U.S. & Israel
“absurdity” of Mr. Falk’s continued service. The British Mission to the United Nations condemned Falk’s “antisemitic” remarks, highlighting it was the third time they had to do so. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird condemned Falk’s “mean-spir-
The organization known as UN Watch last week welcomed the resignation by Rima Khalaf (pictured above) from her post as head of a Beirut-based UN agency
UN Secretary-General Antonió Guterres (pictured above) withdrew a report accusing Israel of "apartheid." The report appears to have been deleted as of last week from the U.N. ESCWA agency's website.
UN Watch called on the British government to consider whether under law Richard Falk should be expelled from the UK, where he is now lecturing, on account of his having been denounced three times by the UK government for racism.
Richard Falk sought to blame the April 2013 Boston terrorist attack, which left 4 dead and 300 wounded, on “the American global domination project” and “Tel Aviv.” Falk was condemned by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said his comments “undermine the credibility and the work of the United Nations.” U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said that “someone who spews such vitriol has no place at the UN,” and noted the
ited, anti-Semitic rhetoric,” and noted that “the United Nations should be ashamed to even be associated with such an individual. Members of the U.S. Congress, Democrats and Republicans, including Rep. Mike Kelly, Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rep. Doug Lamborn, Rep. Eliot Engel and Rep. Trent Franks, also condemned Falk. 2) Human Rights Watch Ex-
pelled Falk Human Rights Watch expelled Falk in December 2012, following the United Nations Watch complaint about his ethical breaches. 3) PLO Tried to Oust Falk Over His Support of Hamas As the UN’s rapporteur on Palestine, Falk was so extreme in his support for the Hamas terrorist organization that even the Palestinian Authority tried to remove him, on grounds that he was a “partisan of Hamas”: Richard Falk, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said last week that the Palestinian Authority urged him to step down after he criticized the PA’s treatment of a UN war crimes report… Falk said PA officials formally approached him in February asking him
to resign… “Informally they say different things, things that are essentially untrue, that my health doesn’t me allow to do the job or that I’m a partisan of Hamas.” 4) U.N. Rights Chief & PM David Cameron, Condemned Falk for Anti-Semitic Cartoon Falk published on his website a cartoon showing a dog wearing a Jewish head covering, and with “USA” written on its body, urinating on a depiction of justice and devouring a bloody skeleton, for which he was condemned by British Prime Minister David Cameron and other public figures, including UN rights chief Navi Pillay. 5) UK Condemned Falk for Endorsing Anti-Semitic Book “The Wandering Who” See Watchdog Group Salutes , page 36