Subscribe to news updates from the WJC
The World Jewish Congress website is the preeminent source of news and information for, and relating to, Jewish communities around the world. Stay up to date with the issues and events that are of importance to Jews everywhere. Subscribe to the WJC’s Daily News Update by filling in the form below.
Your personal information will not be shared with any third parties and you can of course decide to stop receiving the Daily News Update at any time by simply clicking on the unsubscribe link which is included in every issue of the update.
Denmark moves to label West Bank goods as non-Israeli - Times of Israel
23 May 2012 The Danish government is set to introduce an optional label which would differentiate Israeli products from those of West Bank settlements. read more »
Paper: Turkey indicts Israeli commanders over ship raid - Reuters, UK
23 May 2012 A Turkish prosecutor has prepared an indictment seeking life sentences for four former Israeli military commanders over their alleged involvement in the 2010 killing of nine Turks on a Gaza-bound aid ship, the newspaper 'Sabah' reported. read more »
59 percent of Germans view Israel as "aggressive" - Agence France Presse
23 May 2012 Most Germans view Israel as "aggressive", according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday ahead of a state visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories by the German President Joachim Gauck. read more »
Google in court over automatic search identifying Jewish celebrities - RFI, France
23 May 2012 Google Inc. has been ordered to go to mediation over complaints in France that its search engine automatically associates the word 'Jew' with the names of certain well-known people. read more »
Jews protest as Lithuania set to rebury World War II leader - Agence France Presse
23 May 2012 Jewish groups have condemned Lithuania for plans to rebury Juozas Brazaitis, head of a short-lived government in 1941 and accused of siding with Nazi Germany after it ousted the Soviets from the Baltic state. read more »
Poll: 90 percent of British Jews see Israel as their ancestral homeland - Israel Hayom
23 May 2012 A poll by the UK Jewish Leadership Council and the United Jewish Israel Appeal, shows that attachment to Israel among British Jews remains high and that the community is both worried about, and protective of Israel. read more »
Cuban Jews: We need help - Times of Israel
23 May 2012 While Jewish American aid worker Alan Gross languishes in a Havana hospital under arrest, the community seeks to connect with the rest of the world read more »
Nuclear talks begin in Baghdad, a day after UN watchdog says deal with Iran is near - Washington Post, USA
23 May 2012 World powers began a fresh round of talks with Iran on Wednesday amid hopes of progress toward a deal on Tehran’s disputed nuclear program that could help lift the threat of war hanging over the Middle East. read more »
No minute's silence for Israeli athletes murdered in Munich in 1972, says IOC - Agence France Presse
23 May 2012 The International Olympic Committee has scotched any idea of a minute's silence at the London Olympics opening ceremony to remember Israeli athletes killed at the Munich Games in 1972. read more »
Israel accuses Iran of deception after agreeing to UN nuclear inspections - The Independent, UK
23 May 2012 Israel's defense minister has voiced skepticism over an agreement by Iran to open up its nuclear facilities to UN inspectors, saying that the Iranians were trying to create a "deception of progress" to stave off international pressure. read more »
Egyptians go to polls in historic presidential election - New York Times, USA
23 May 2012 After weeks of fevered debate, speculation and argument, Egyptians went to the polls on Wednesday in the Arab world’s first competitive presidential election, choosing between a dozen candidates. read more »
Barak demands Iran give up uranium enrichment - Jerusalem Post, Israel
23 May 2012 Israel stands by its position that Iran completely stop enriching uranium and transfer its existing supply to a third country, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview with Army Radio Wednesday. read more »
Yemen's remaining Jews in fear after assassination
23 May 2012 The stabbing to death of a leading member of Yemen's dwindling Jewish community in the capital Sana'a has heightened fear among Jews in the Arab country. read more »
Controversial comedian is a candidate of 'anti-Zionist party' in French elections - European Jewish Press
22 May 2012 Controversial comedian Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala will stand as candidate in an ‘anti-Zionist party’ (PAS) in June's parliamentary elections in the city of Dreux. read more »
World Jewish Congress dismayed at Irish call for EU ban on Israeli goods from West Bank
22 May 2012 Ronald S. Lauder has reacted with dismay at the suggestion by Ireland's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore last week to impose a European Union import ban on products made in Israeli communities in the disputed West Bank. read more »
Report: Orthodox conversions in Israel down 31 percent - JTA, USA
22 May 2012 Orthodox conversions in Israel are down by 31 percent over the past two years, according to a new report. read more »
Red Hot Chili Peppers urged to boycott Israel - Jewish Chronicle, UK
22 May 2012 The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been targeted by anti-Israel campaigners who want the band to cancel a planned gig in Tel Aviv. read more »
US Senate approves sanctions against Iran - Agence France Presse
22 May 2012 The US Senate approved new sanctions against Iran aimed at convincing the Islamic Republic to suspend its uranium enrichment, which western powers say is a cover for developing nuclear weapons read more »
Blog: Tunisia's Jewish community staying put - SBS, Australia
22 May 2012 On the Tunisian island of Djerba, security concerns don't stop the Jewish community from celebrating the annual Ghriba festival. read more »
From Cuban cell, Gross thanks Jewish community for support - Baltimore Sun, USA
22 May 2012 Alan Gross, the Potomac man serving 15 years in Cuba after carrying communications equipment into the island nation, continues to communicate with supporters from the military hospital where he is held. read more »
World Jewish Congress dismayed at Irish call for EU ban on Israeli goods from West Bank
22 May 2012 Ronald S. Lauder has reacted with dismay at the suggestion by Ireland's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore last week to impose a European Union import ban on products made in Israeli communities in the disputed West Bank. read more »
WJC ANALYSIS - The West Bank and Gaza: Divorce or last-minute reconciliation?
21 May 2012 The PLO of Mahmoud Abbas has recently launched a series of surprising moves that have resulted in the probable end to the reconciliation process between Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza. read more »
Heads of WJC and European Commission discuss situation in Middle East, Europe
18 May 2012 World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder received the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, in New York. The two men agreed on the urgent need to relaunch peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. read more »
Lauder: Canada to be influential player in peace talks
17 May 2012 Canada is likely to play a larger role in Middle East peace negotiations, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder has said after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Minister John Baird in Ottawa. read more »
ICJP and WJC conclude Rome conference on Middle East
15 May 2012 The International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians and the World Jewish Congress held a two-day conference in the Italian capital on the subject of the ‘Revolutions in the Middle East: the Iranian question, the Arab world and the West’. read more »
Lauder thanks Italian Prime Minister Monti for being a friend of Israel and the Jews
14 May 2012 World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder has held talks with Prime Minister Mario Monti of Italy in Rome and thanked him for his "personal commitment to the safety and well-being of the State of Israel and the Jewish people." read more »
WJC ANALYSIS - Is Syria about to become the next al-Qaeda stronghold?
14 May 2012 The Assad regime is terrorist by nature, having already exported terrorism to Lebanon, Israel and the Persian Gulf, yet the terror network al-Qaeda has been slowly overtaking the Syrian rebellion and may ultimately emerge as the real winner of the bloodshed there. read more »
Benedict XVI welcomes first-ever Latin American Jewish delegation at Vatican
10 May 2012 A delegation of Jewish leaders from 12 Latin American countries, as well as WJC President Ronald S. Lauder, was received in Rome by Pope Benedict XVI, who underlined the need to deepen Catholic-Jewish dialogue. read more »
Decentralized structure of al-Qaeda poses continued threat, terrorism expert warns
10 May 2012 Professor Yonah Alexander addressed the World Jewish Congress Research and Policy Institute on the 'Ticking time bomb: Understanding the challenge of international terror'. read more »
Military service issue confronts new Israeli coalition - Associated Press, USA
10 May 2012 A controversial practice that has allowed tens of thousands of young ultra-Orthodox men to avoid compulsory military service has emerged as a looming test for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new coalition government — and one that could create major mayhem in the Jewish state. read more »
WJC ANALYSIS - Dan Diker on the implications of the new Israeli national unity government
08 May 2012 The last-minute national unity government agreement between PM Netanyahu and newly elected Kadima head Mofaz and the surprise cancellation of early Knesset elections in September is one of the most far-reaching political maneuvers in the history of the State of Israel. read more »
WJC ANALYSIS - Pinhas Inbari: Jerusalem – the old new Qiblah
07 May 2012 One of the strangest ideas discovered in the hacked emails of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s closest aides was a suggestion to declare Jerusalem as the real direction in which Muslim should pray – the Qiblah. read more »
Lauder: Many European intellectuals and scholars are obsessed with Israel and the Jews
02 May 2012 WJC President Ronald S. Lauder has strongly condemned recent remarks by the Norwegian sociologist Johan Galtung who on repeated occasions had revived anti-Semitic canards such as Jewish control of the media and suggested that Israel’s Mossad could have been behind last year’s massacres in Norway read more »
Cartoonist cannot be an anti-Semite because he supports good causes, Italian judge says
30 Apr 2012 An Italian court has ruled that Vauro Senesi could not be publicly accused of anti-Semitism because of his actions in favor of Third World countries. WJC President Ronald S. Lauder had criticized an earlier ruling in favor of the controversial cartoonist, who is also an anti-Israel activist. read more »
WJC ANALYSIS - The secret connection: Muhammad Dahlan and the Saudi royal family
30 Apr 2012 The ongoing rivalry between PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas and his young challenger Muhammad Dahlan is an open secret on the Palestinian street. What may, however, come as a surprise, is the involvement of Saudi Arabia in the internal Palestinian struggle for power. read more »
WJC ANALYSIS - Fayyad and Netanyahu: The meeting that never happened
23 Apr 2012 Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s refusal to attend the meeting with Netanyahu might be the opening shot in the coming struggle for the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. read more »
WRJO welcomes Lithuanian government's decision on restitution funds
17 Apr 2012 The World Jewish Restitution Organization has welcomed a decision by the Lithuanian government to designate a Jewish-community-managed foundation for the paying of 50 million dollars in Holocaust-era restitution funds. read more »
OBITUARY - Menachem Z. Rosensaft on Elan Steinberg, fighter for Jews - Forward, USA
16 Apr 2012 Immediately after Elan Steinberg died, those who understood the tremendous historical role he had played spoke about what he had meant to them and to the Jewish community. Calling him “One of the great Jewish activists of the past decades,” World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder described him as “probably the most gifted communication professional in the Jewish organizational world.” read more »
WJC ANALYSIS - Egyptian politics to determine future of Hamas
16 Apr 2012 The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has asked Hamas' Diaspora leader Khaled Mashal to waive the movement's resistance character and formally join the Brotherhood. read more »
WJC chides UN Human Rights Council for anti-Israel bias
27 Mar 2012 The World Jewish Congress has condemned the adoption by the United Nations Human Rights Council of five anti-Israel resolutions last week and urged the council to adjust its priorities and expose the real human rights violators in the world. read more »
Denmark moves to label West Bank goods as non-Israeli - Times of Israel
23 May 2012 The Danish government is set to introduce an optional label which would differentiate Israeli products from those of West Bank settlements. read more »
Paper: Turkey indicts Israeli commanders over ship raid - Reuters, UK
23 May 2012 A Turkish prosecutor has prepared an indictment seeking life sentences for four former Israeli military commanders over their alleged involvement in the 2010 killing of nine Turks on a Gaza-bound aid ship, the newspaper 'Sabah' reported. read more »
59 percent of Germans view Israel as "aggressive" - Agence France Presse
23 May 2012 Most Germans view Israel as "aggressive", according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday ahead of a state visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories by the German President Joachim Gauck. read more »
Google in court over automatic search identifying Jewish celebrities - RFI, France
23 May 2012 Google Inc. has been ordered to go to mediation over complaints in France that its search engine automatically associates the word 'Jew' with the names of certain well-known people. read more »
Jews protest as Lithuania set to rebury World War II leader - Agence France Presse
23 May 2012 Jewish groups have condemned Lithuania for plans to rebury Juozas Brazaitis, head of a short-lived government in 1941 and accused of siding with Nazi Germany after it ousted the Soviets from the Baltic state. read more »
Poll: 90 percent of British Jews see Israel as their ancestral homeland - Israel Hayom
23 May 2012 A poll by the UK Jewish Leadership Council and the United Jewish Israel Appeal, shows that attachment to Israel among British Jews remains high and that the community is both worried about, and protective of Israel. read more »
Cuban Jews: We need help - Times of Israel
23 May 2012 While Jewish American aid worker Alan Gross languishes in a Havana hospital under arrest, the community seeks to connect with the rest of the world read more »
Nuclear talks begin in Baghdad, a day after UN watchdog says deal with Iran is near - Washington Post, USA
23 May 2012 World powers began a fresh round of talks with Iran on Wednesday amid hopes of progress toward a deal on Tehran’s disputed nuclear program that could help lift the threat of war hanging over the Middle East. read more »
No minute's silence for Israeli athletes murdered in Munich in 1972, says IOC - Agence France Presse
23 May 2012 The International Olympic Committee has scotched any idea of a minute's silence at the London Olympics opening ceremony to remember Israeli athletes killed at the Munich Games in 1972. read more »
Israel accuses Iran of deception after agreeing to UN nuclear inspections - The Independent, UK
23 May 2012 Israel's defense minister has voiced skepticism over an agreement by Iran to open up its nuclear facilities to UN inspectors, saying that the Iranians were trying to create a "deception of progress" to stave off international pressure. read more »
Egyptians go to polls in historic presidential election - New York Times, USA
23 May 2012 After weeks of fevered debate, speculation and argument, Egyptians went to the polls on Wednesday in the Arab world’s first competitive presidential election, choosing between a dozen candidates. read more »
Barak demands Iran give up uranium enrichment - Jerusalem Post, Israel
23 May 2012 Israel stands by its position that Iran completely stop enriching uranium and transfer its existing supply to a third country, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview with Army Radio Wednesday. read more »
Yemen's remaining Jews in fear after assassination
23 May 2012 The stabbing to death of a leading member of Yemen's dwindling Jewish community in the capital Sana'a has heightened fear among Jews in the Arab country. read more »
Controversial comedian is a candidate of 'anti-Zionist party' in French elections - European Jewish Press
22 May 2012 Controversial comedian Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala will stand as candidate in an ‘anti-Zionist party’ (PAS) in June's parliamentary elections in the city of Dreux. read more »
Report: Orthodox conversions in Israel down 31 percent - JTA, USA
22 May 2012 Orthodox conversions in Israel are down by 31 percent over the past two years, according to a new report. read more »
Red Hot Chili Peppers urged to boycott Israel - Jewish Chronicle, UK
22 May 2012 The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been targeted by anti-Israel campaigners who want the band to cancel a planned gig in Tel Aviv. read more »
US Senate approves sanctions against Iran - Agence France Presse
22 May 2012 The US Senate approved new sanctions against Iran aimed at convincing the Islamic Republic to suspend its uranium enrichment, which western powers say is a cover for developing nuclear weapons read more »
Blog: Tunisia's Jewish community staying put - SBS, Australia
22 May 2012 On the Tunisian island of Djerba, security concerns don't stop the Jewish community from celebrating the annual Ghriba festival. read more »
From Cuban cell, Gross thanks Jewish community for support - Baltimore Sun, USA
22 May 2012 Alan Gross, the Potomac man serving 15 years in Cuba after carrying communications equipment into the island nation, continues to communicate with supporters from the military hospital where he is held. read more »
Austria condemns minister for attacking Lieberman - Jerusalem Post, Israel
22 May 2012 Austria’s Foreign Ministry condemned Norbert Darabos, the country’s defense minister, on Monday for his sharp and undiplomatic criticism of Israel and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. read more »
In a new campaign "Just One Minute", Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon calls on the International Olympic Committee to dedicate a minute of silence during the opening ceremony at this summer's London Olympic Games in memory of the eleven murdered Israeli athletes who were brutally murdered during the Munich Olympic Games in 1972.










