Current Events Digest: Israel—Olympic Abstentions, Peace Ice Cream, and America's True Love

🥋Algerian player refuses to play against Israeli player🥋

Shortly after the Tokyo Olympic judo event was drawn on July 22, Fethi Nourine, who represented Algeria, announced his withdrawal from the competition because he refused to compete with Israeli players. According to a report by the British "Guardian" on July 24, Fehinulin, who has always supported Palestine, set a precedent in the 2019 World Games. , but Palestine is more important. Fechnurin's coach said that the signing was not good, but it was the right decision to retire.

The International Judo Federation (Internatoinal Judo Federation, IJF) immediately suspended Fechnurin and his coach's right to compete, and pointedly declared that the IJF upholds a strict "anti-discrimination policy." On July 27, The Times of Israel once again reported the IJF’s condemnation of Fehinurin, citing the reaffirmation of the “anti-discrimination policy” by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials, and emphasizing the IOC’s “refusal to compete with Israeli athletes.” An expression of "concern". The communication between players can be pure sports competition, but in any international event, the sports field is the political field .

🍦Ben & Jerry's announced that it will stop selling ice cream in the Palestinian Territory🍦

On July 19, Ben & Jerry's, a major American ice cream manufacturer, announced that it would stop selling products in Israel's illegally occupied areas, and would not renew its contract with Israeli agents after the end of 2022. Israeli officials strongly criticized this decision and criticized Ben & Jerry's as "anti-Semitic". Israeli supporters also mobilized on social media to refuse to buy Ben & Jerry's. Israel's ambassador to the United States, Gilad Erdan, even sent a letter to 35 American governors, crying Unfair, and threatened to imply that Ben & Jerry's will pay for this "anti-Semitic" move.

On July 28, Ben & Jerry's founders Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield published "We're Ben and Jerry. Men of Ice Cream, Men of Principles" in the New York Times. Men of Principle). The two founders call themselves "proud Jews", and Israel was one of their first choice bases for expanding their overseas business. Their support for Israel has not changed, but they oppose "certain Israeli policies". The founders said that advocating peace is a consistent position of Ben & Jerry's. They opposed the 1991 Persian Gulf War and called on the U.S. government to cut the military budget. "Peace" purposes. The founders stated that Ben & Jerry's does not support the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Saction, Boycott, Divestment and Saction). Even though their ice cream cannot be bought in some areas, they will continue to support the Israeli government, especially the Israeli government. "Democratic area". That is to say, Ben & Jerry's only withdraws from the illegally occupied area of Israel. It is neither anti-Semitic nor anti-Israeli . Obviously everyone has misunderstood. In the democratic areas of Israel, you should still be able to eat ice cream.

💵The 2022 appropriations bill of the U.S. House of Representatives will sponsor Israel with $3.3 billion💵

Also on July 28, the U.S. House of Representatives issued a press release to pass the appropriations bill regulating the 2022 federal budget. The National Foreign Affairs and Related Programs (State, Foriegn Operation, and Related Programs) approved by the committee this time include sponsorship of $3.3 billion to the Israeli government. This sponsorship is continued in accordance with the 2016 memorandum without any additional political terms.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) stated: "A strong Israel makes America stronger." AIPAC considers itself a "cross-party organization" in the United States. Years of funding from the United States has indeed shown that whether it is the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, the United States' support for Israel is true love. At the same time, the above-mentioned appropriations bill listed a sum of "no less than 225 million US dollars", saying that this budget will be used to assist humanitarian organizations in the West Bank and Gaza to support the needs of the Palestinian people in the area. According to the bill, the appropriation for 2022 is already 150 million higher than that for 2021. Being rich is self-willed, and the size of the amount can often explain who is true love . Maybe the 1% that Ben & Jerry's said is included in the $225 million?

The attached picture shows the works of Nader Asmar, an artist living in Ramallah, Palestine, for more information .

Related sources:

1. Algerian judoka sent home from Olympics after refusing to face Israel, The Guardian (July 24, 2021)
2. International Olympic Committee 'concerned' by forfeits to avoid Israeli judoka, Times of Israel (July 27, 2021)
3. Gilad Erdan's tweets (July 21, 2021)
4. NYT op-ed by Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield (July 28, 2021)
5. Summary of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Funding Bill (fiscal year 2022) before action on the House Floor
6. AIPAC's tweets (July 29, 2021)