H eadlines
NEWSBRIEFS Dozens of Celebrities Sign Letter Denouncing
Cultural Boycott of Israel
MORE THAN 200 celebrities signed an open letter
opposing efforts to boycott an LGBTQ film festival
in Tel Aviv, JTA reported.

The letter published Oct. 27 is a response to
calls from activists with the boycott, divestment
and sanctions movement to boycott the Tel Aviv
International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, also called
TLVFest. The letter was organized by Creative Community
for Peace, an organization of entertainment industry
professionals that works to counter cultural boycotts
against Israel.

“In Israel, movies have the unique power to bring
together Jews, Arabs, and people of all races, ethnic-
ities, and backgrounds in collaboration under a
shared love of the arts, working together towards the
common goal of telling their stories, and building
bridges of compassion and understanding,” the letter
reads. Celebrities signing the letter included actors
Mila Kunis, Billy Porter, Neil Patrick Harris, Helen
Mirren, Jeremy Piven and Emmanuelle Chriqui,
former NSYNC singer Lance Bass and KISS frontman
Gene Simmons.

Comedian Mort Sahl Dies at 94
Jewish satirist Mort Sahl, who often was credited with
making caustic political and social satire popular in
stand-up comedy, died On Oct. 26, JTA reported. He
was 94.

Sahl often walked onstage holding just a rolled-up
newspaper, riffing on the headlines of the day in
extended improvised monologues. He took aim at
politicians at a time when comedians didn’t often do
so and was known to end his sets with the line: “Are
there any groups I haven’t offended?”
“The Tonight Show” host Steve Allen once intro-
duced Sahl as “probably the only real political
philosopher we have in modern comedy.”
Though Sahl didn’t discuss his Jewishness in
routines or often in public, he inspired fellow Jewish
stand-ups including Woody Allen and Lenny Bruce.

Florida Prohibits New Investments in
Ben & Jerry’s Parent Company
Florida state entities may no longer invest in Unilever,
Ben & Jerry’s parent company because the ice cream
maker plans to stop selling its product in the West
Bank, JTA reported.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis triggered in July a
90-day review mandated by Florida law that requires
divestment from companies boycotting Israel. Ben &
Jerry’s says it is ending its sales only in the West Bank,
but Florida law doesn’t distinguish between Israel and
the West Bank.

Unilever has disavowed the boycott, divestment
and sanctions movement, but has said it can’t control
Ben & Jerry’s business decisions because of an internal
agreement between the conglomerate and the ice
cream manufacturer’s independent board.

The ruling doesn’t impact the $39 million Florida
already has invested in Unilever, the Florida Politics
website reported.

Chilean Newspaper Draws Outrage with
Tribute to Nazi Leader Hermann Göring
One of Chile’s largest newspapers published a tribute
feature to Nazi Hermann Göring on Oct. 24, sparking
an outcry from politicians and the nation’s Jewish
community, JTA reported.

The article in El Mercurio was timed to the
75th anniversary of Göring’s death and resembled
a eulogy. It included details about Göring’s youth,
military career and close relationship to Adolf Hitler,
accompanied by photos.

In a statement posted to Twitter, the Jewish
Community of Chile organization called the article
“an apology for Nazism.” l
— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
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H eadlines
ISRAELBRIEFS Shekel Reaches All-time High
THE SHEKEL REACHED its strongest level ever, as per the
Bank of Israel’s nominal effective rate, which measures the
shekel against a basket of currencies of the nation’s major trading
partners, Globes reported.

Globes said Israeli consumers should be able to find good
prices on overseas e-commerce sites, although supply chain
problems worldwide might impact that to some extent.

But Prico Risk Management Investments CEO Yossi Fraiman
said the news isn’t as good for the nation’s exporters.

“Among the reasons for the shekel’s strength is lively activity on
the part of financial institutions reducing their currency exposure,
resulting in surplus supply of foreign currency,” he said.

The Bank of Israel has reduced the amount of foreign currency
it buys to moderate the strengthening of the shekel, Globes said.

10,000 Participate in Climate March
About 10,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv on Oct. 29 participated
in the annual climate march titled “The leaders have run out of
time,” The Jerusalem Post reported.

Environmental organizations including the Society for the
Protection of Nature, Green Course, Greenpeace and the Israel
Union for Environmental Defense participated in and led the
march. Protesters displayed signs and banners. Some sought change
from the government, others sought public change and still
others warned of what might happen if there wasn’t change.

“We are marching for the preservation of nature and our
future,” SPNI CEO Iris Hann said. “Our health as human beings
is directly linked to, and dependent on, the health of our nature.”
Remains of IDF’s First Fallen Paratrooper Returned from
Czech Republic, Buried at Mount Herzl
The remains of the Israel Defense Forces first fallen paratrooper
were repatriated to Israel from the Czech Republic on Oct. 27
and buried the next day, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The burial ceremony for Pvt. Martin Davidowicz occurred
at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, led by senior
Defense Ministry officials, IDF officers and family members.

Davidowicz was born in Czechoslovakia in 1927 and sent
to Auschwitz in 1943. After surviving the Holocaust, he joined
the Czech Brigade. During the War of Independence in 1948,
Czechoslovakia hosted the first paratroopers training course.

In the program’s third week, Davidowicz was accidentally
shot and killed by a Czech officer, who said he thought his
weapon wasn’t loaded during an exercise.

Lebanese Villagers Allowed into Israel to Pick Olives
Despite technically being at war with Lebanon, Israel said on
Oct. 25 that it was opening its border to Lebanese agricultural
workers to pick olives, The Times of Israel reported.

“In light of the economic situation in Lebanon, and as a
gesture of goodwill to the Lebanese people, the IDF opened the
border to agricultural workers from Al Jabal, Itaron and Balida,”
an Israel Defense Force statement read.

Tensions began escalating between the two countries in
August when Israel conducted its first airstrikes on Lebanese
territory in seven years, and Lebanese terror group Hezbollah
claimed a direct rocket attack on Israel for the first time
since 2019. l
— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
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