This is the Forward’s coverage of the continent of Europe and its Jews.
Europe
The Latest
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Fast Forward British Orthodox Candidate Refuses To Shake Hands
An Orthodox Jewish candidate for the European Parliament has caused a stir by refusing to shake women’s hands. Shneur Odze told the members of the right-wing populist UK Independence Party, or UKIP, that he will not shake women’s hands due to his religious beliefs, which proscribe physical contact with any woman other than his wife,…
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Opinion Anti-Semitism? Self-Segregation Isn’t the Answer
Anti-Semitism in Europe is, once again, making headlines. In Paris, crowds sang, “Jews, France is not yours” at an anti-government protest last month. In Rome, a right-wing extremist mailed three pig heads to major Jewish sites, and Italy had its own anti-government protest — complete with anti-Semitic slogans — a couple of months ago. Plus,…
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Opinion Academic Freedom — Not Boycotts — Should Be Focus of Israel Academia Debate
The uproar in the Jewish community over the American Studies Association’s vote to boycott Israeli universities has largely overlooked one point: Are we, who oppose these sorts of boycotts, truly committed to academic freedom for people of all views on the Israel-Palestine conflict? Of course there are reasons, aside from academic freedom, to oppose the…
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Opinion Europe Still Needs Holocaust Remembrance Day
Milan — Today, many European countries — including Germany, Italy and the UK — are observing the annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day. What makes this particular Holocaust Remembrance Day peculiar in Italy is the fact that quite a few public intellectuals, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have called for its abolition. Well, that and the fact…
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Israel News Israel Wades Into Europe Circumcision Debate — and Reaction Is Mixed
(JTA) — The Israeli government is wading into the burgeoning European debate over circumcision and receiving a mixed reception from the continent’s Jews. On Dec. 11, Israel initiated a motion in defense of circumcision at the Council of Europe, an intergovernmental organization devoted to enhancing cooperation among its 47 member states. Intended to offset a…
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Opinion Busting the New Year’s Jewish Myths
It takes no special insight to predict some of the topics for conversation among Jews in this new year. The Mideast peace process, such as it is. Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The endless need to engage young people in meaningful Jewish life. The prohibitive cost of day school and summer camp. The unlikelihood of any Jew…
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Fast Forward Lithuanian Lawmaker Says ‘Jews Only Want Money’
Lithuania’s prime minister condemned a lawmaker for suggesting Jews are cheap and “are just looking to take from Lithuania.” “I judge this statement to be very negative and it doesn’t represent the party’s position,” Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius said Dec. 23, according to the news site Delfi.lt. A spokesperson for Butkevicius’ Social Democratic Party of…
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Fast Forward Europe Lawmakers Push Back on Circumcision
Encouraged by Israeli diplomats, parliamentarians from the Council of Europe have submitted a motion opposing an earlier resolution condemning ritual circumcision of boys. The motion was submitted last week by 101 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the council, according to Micaela Catalano, a spokeswoman for the assembly, which has 318 parliamentarians and whose resolutions…
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Fast Forward Israeli-American soldier Moshe Katz, killed in Lebanon rocket strike, laid to rest on Mt. Herzl
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News Their sons survived the battlefield but not their wounds. Now these Israeli mothers mourn together.
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Fast Forward IDF suspends unit that detained CNN crew in the West Bank, as Herzog condemns settler violence
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