All posts tagged: antisemitism

Scarlett Johansson responds after her likeness is used in AI video of celebrities condemning Kanye West’s antisemitism | Ents & Arts News

Scarlett Johansson responds after her likeness is used in AI video of celebrities condemning Kanye West’s antisemitism | Ents & Arts News

Scarlett Johansson has condemned the use of AI after her likeness was used in a viral video of celebrities condemning Kanye West’s antisemitism. The AI-generated clip shows celebrities such as Johansson, Ben Stiller, Mila Kunis and Steven Spielberg wearing white T-shirts featuring the Star of David inside a hand sticking up its middle finger above Kanye’s name. It finishes with an AI version of Adam Sandler sticking his middle finger up at the camera and the words: “Enough is enough. Join the fight to end antisemitism.” Image: An AI David Schwimmer also appears in the video. Pic: Ori Bejerano But Johansson released a statement about “the misuse of AI”, writing: “I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. “But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. “We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.” …

Administrators at Harvard Divinity School quit, say school condoned hate

Administrators at Harvard Divinity School quit, say school condoned hate

(RNS) — A program at Harvard Divinity School is the latest casualty of the ongoing tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war, with the departure of two administrators and the cancellation of a class on Israel-Palestine. Diane L. Moore, the associate dean of the Religion and Public Life program at the Harvard Divinity School, was scheduled to retire at the end of the school year in May but departed suddenly in January. A spokesperson for the divinity school would not comment on why she left early or whether she was fired. Moore could not be reached for comment. Then, earlier this month, the assistant dean for the Religion and Public Life program, Hussein Rashid, wrote to his students that he too was resigning at the end of the semester. In the letter, Rashid, who is a Muslim American, accused the university of tolerating racist and defamatory statements against the program without challenging or disputing them. “Since I was a student here decades ago, I have been acutely aware of the anti-Muslim bias (amongst other racisms and …

Documenta Adopts Controversial Antisemitism Definition

Documenta Adopts Controversial Antisemitism Definition

Earlier this week, Documenta released a new code of conduct aimed at remedying the ongoing fallout from an antisemitism controversy that created upheaval during its 2022 edition. Ahead of its 2027 edition, to be curated by Naomi Beckwith, the famed German art exhibition said in its code of conduct that it “stands for tolerance and respect for human dignity. It actively opposes all forms of anti-Semitism, racism, and any other form of group-related misanthropy.” The code of conduct relies upon a divisive definition of antisemitism that some have claimed will be used to censor artists that have espoused pro-Palestine views, whether in their art or elsewhere. Related Articles That definition of antisemitism is the one written by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which enumerates many kinds of discrimination against Jews. One such form is defined as “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.” Documenta is not the first art-world entity to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. When Berlin …

Harvard agrees to controversial definition of antisemitism in settling lawsuits

Harvard agrees to controversial definition of antisemitism in settling lawsuits

(RNS) — Harvard University has settled two lawsuits with Jewish groups that claimed the school had not taken appropriate steps to keep its campus from becoming a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel. Harvard agreed to an unspecified monetary payout, and to hire an administrator to consult on all complaints of antisemitism and to pursue a new partnership with an Israeli university. The school also agreed to draft an annual report for the next five years that details its response to discrimination and harassment. As part of the settlement, Harvard also agreed to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism when investigating complaints. The controversial definition, which critics say quashes dissent of Israel, offers among several examples of antisemitism the claim that the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavor. Previously, Harvard’s policies barred any discrimination based on religion, national origin or ancestry.  The university also must post on its website the following statement: “For many Jewish …

Christian Nationalism and Hate Violence: What Can We Do?

Christian Nationalism and Hate Violence: What Can We Do?

 This week, Zev Mishell, National Programs Associate at Interfaith Alliance, joins host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush to discuss the intersection of systemic violence, hate crimes, and religious and political ideologies in America. Zev is the author of Interfaith Alliance’s new report, Together Against Hate, which closely analyzes how interfaith movements can address hate-based violence by uniting across differences while also examining how White Christian Nationalism is driving the alarming rise of hate in America. The report comprises case studies of successful strategies, practical recommendations, and a guide to organizations working to combat hate and extremism in the U.S. It is based on extensive research and interviews with nearly two dozen advocacy organizations dedicated to faith-based organizing, upholding civil rights and confronting hate. The full report will be released on Monday, January 13th, on the Interfaith Alliance website. “Religion is contextual, and it can manifest itself in extremely damaging and violent ways. It can divide us from one another. It can create supremacist outlooks. It can create and be influenced by ethno-nationalist outlooks. And maybe …

Senate approves move to add American Jewish history museum to Smithsonian

Senate approves move to add American Jewish history museum to Smithsonian

(RNS) — Late Tuesday (Dec. 3), the Senate unanimously passed a bill creating a commission to study the possibility of incorporating the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia into the Smithsonian Institution. Having gained approval from the House in September, the bill is now set to be signed into law by President Joe Biden. The bill is just the beginning of a yearslong process, but one that has gained urgency with the rise in antisemitism in the United States in recent years.  “It’s a major step in the process of the Weitzman ultimately becoming a Smithsonian museum,” said Philip Darivoff, chair emeritus and trustee of the museum. The commission of nine experts would have two years to issue a report, establish a fundraising plan and present recommendations to the president and Congress. The commission would also be expected to suggest ways the museum could assist educational and governmental institutions in countering antisemitism.  If the effort is successful, the Weitzman would remain in Philadelphia but would join the Smithsonian’s network of 22 museums, …

Outset Co-Founder Candida Gertler Steps Down Citing Antisemitism Concerns

Outset Co-Founder Candida Gertler Steps Down Citing Antisemitism Concerns

Candida Gertler, co-founder of the Outset Contemporary Art Fund, has stepped down from the organization’s board of trustees and all voluntary roles within UK arts institutions, according to a report by The Art Newspaper. Her resignation follows an open letter signed by over 1,100 artists and art workersa and addressed to Tate leadership ahead of the Turner Prize ceremony on December 3, calling for the museum to divest from the Zabludowicz Art Trust, Zabludowicz Art Projects, and Outset Contemporary Art Fund. The three organizations are run separately by arts philanthropists Anita and Poju Zabludowicz and Gertler. Related Articles As ARTnews‘ Angelica Villa reported earlier this week, the letter accuses the groups’ founders of being connected to Israel’s “genocidal” policies in Gaza, citing findings from the International Court of Justice and the United Nations that describe Israel’s military actions as being consistent with genocide and apartheid. Amnesty International has also labeled Israel’s policies as crimes of apartheid. The letter points to the roles of the Zabludowicz Art Trust and Outset Contemporary Art Fund in providing what activists …

Campuses are ground zero in debates about antisemitism − but that’s been true for 100 years

Campuses are ground zero in debates about antisemitism − but that’s been true for 100 years

(The Conversation) — When Eliza arrived on her West Coast college campus in the fall of 2020, building community was difficult due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Yet over time she forged a network of friends, anchored by her sorority. Three years later, those relationships were severely tested by events over 7,000 miles away: the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Due to her support for Israel, she was ostracized by people she once considered close friends, including her sorority sisters. Walking around campus, she removed her Star of David necklace. To be clear, Eliza was not concerned about her physical safety. But she sensed a social penalty for being Jewish and wanted to avoid dirty looks and political confrontations. As the civilian death toll in Gaza mounted, progressive campus activists, including some Jews, fervently adopted the Palestinian cause as an extension of their battles for racial and social justice. Opposition to the war has become a generational cause for earnest Zoomers, akin to the Vietnam War for …

The horror of Amsterdam

The horror of Amsterdam

(RNS) — It happened in Amsterdam. It was right after a soccer match between the Dutch club Ajax and the visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv. Radical Muslims — youth gangs from the Dutch Moroccan and Dutch Turkish communities — went on a rampage, assaulting and injuring Jewish and Israeli fans of the Israeli club, chasing them and beating them in the city’s streets and alleys. Videos show a victim struck by a car, lying injured on the ground, apparently unconscious. A father fled with his son. A man jumped into one of Amsterdam’s storied canals in order to save himself. He was forced to say, “Free Palestine,” while his tormentors call him a “cancer Jew.” Gangs of 10 to 15 assailants ambushed Israelis in alleys. Whatever else you have read or heard about what happened in Amsterdam, know this: These attacks on Jews were planned in advance. To quote the Free Press: “Fleeing Israelis told Channel 12’s Elad Simchayoff that ‘Amsterdam police instructed (Israelis) not to go by taxis. Police officers told fans that taxi drivers …

OK, GOP, let’s put that antisemitism definition into effect!

OK, GOP, let’s put that antisemitism definition into effect!

(RNS) — In their zeal to protect us Jews, Republicans are pushing to codify what’s known as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism — last week via an Antisemitism Awareness Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and this week via a Shalom Act in the North Carolina House. Designed as a research tool for identifying antisemitism, the IHRA definition consists of a vague description of the prejudice followed by a list of 11 things that might constitute it. The definition was never meant to be made into law.  A widespread charge is that the definition seeks to preempt legitimate criticism of Israel, and there’s no doubt one of its central concerns is to protect Israel from being attacked with old antisemitic tropes. For example, the ninth item on the list reads: “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.” Among the most trenchant critics of its codification is Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who nevertheless decided to …