Grapevine May 5, 2024: Antisemitism notwithstanding...

■ AMERICAN ATTITUDES towards Israel and the Jewish People should not be judged solely on what’s happening on US campuses. Every month, if not every week, an Israeli or a member of the Jewish faith is awarded a prize or a citation in recognition of an outstanding academic achievement or conduct of their profession, in accordance with the highest standards, or named the winner of a literary or journalism competition. A recent example is American-born Israeli dermatologist Dr. Baruch Kaplan, who was awarded a special presidential citation by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) at its annual meeting in San Diego.

Kaplan, president of the Israel Society of Dermatology, is a specialist in skin cancer as well as other skin diseases and is known globally for some of the medical techniques that he has developed.

He was the recipient of the AAD’s 2024 Presidential Citation in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field, dedication to dermatology education, and leadership in the international dermatology pedagogical community.

This is the second consecutive year in which Kaplan was singled out for the Presidential Citation.

Given the global importance of recognizing Israeli physicians in a period in which there is so much hatred directed towards Israel, the honor given to Kaplan and the esteem in which he is held are particularly significant.

It not only showcases his individual excellence but also highlights the caliber of medical professionals in Israel on an international platform.

In the realm of healthcare, where collaboration and sharing of expertise are paramount, recognition of Kaplan’s professionalism further solidifies the reputation of Israeli physicians as leaders in their respective fields. This acknowledgment not only reflects positively on Dr. Kaplan but also underscores the collective achievements of Israel’s medical community.

■ ISRAELI SPORTSMEN and sportswomen are also receiving awards and winning competitions in the US.

Less than two weeks after celebrating his 17th birthday, Ariel Elkin, a professional racing car driver from Haifa, added yet another trophy to his collection by winning the Tire Grand Prix of Alabama.

Sponsored by International Motorsport, Elkin won the USF Formula 4 Juniors opening race from among a total of 27 drivers who are ranked among the top in the world. Fame brings additional rewards. Aside from traveling around the world to compete in racing contests, Elkin has  been contracted as the presenter for the Lee Cooper sports and casual wear brand.

■ AT noon Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, May 8, Americans for Ben-Gurion University will present a free online event under the heading “Remarkable Resilience – Moving the Way Forward.”

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev suffered losses both at the Supernova Festival on October 7 and in the ensuing war.

By mid-April, BGU’s loss statistics were heartbreaking, with 111 dead among students and faculty staff and their immediate relatives, 29 wounded, eight missing or kidnapped, and 1,000 displaced from their homes. Furthermore, the IDF called 6,600 to reserve duty, with several hundred of them still serving actively.

A4BGU CEO Doug Seserman emphasizes the importance of getting the word out about BGU’s resilience and paving the way for the university to move forward while mourning its dead.

Among the speakers will be Dr. Talia Meital Schwartz-Tayri, who created a groundbreaking AI bot designed to support the mental health of survivors, soldiers, and families of hostages abducted to Gaza; Alon Jacobs, a wounded student called up as a reservist on October 7 to help secure kibbutzim attacked by Hamas; Dr. Oren Warcht, head of Emergency Medicine, who was called to Reserve Duty in the IDF; Dr. Galit Katarivas-Levy, who created a 3D printed solution for carrying medications to the battlefield that proved to be of immense value in the current war.

Defending national security on both fronts

■ WHILE ISRAEL is fighting to defend national security on both the southern and northern fronts, much more attention is being given to the South due to the circumstances that pitted Israeli forces against Hamas. But 30,000 people from northern communities have been displaced, among them 99-year-old Rachel Rabin, who, in 1943, was one of the founders of Kibbutz Manara, which is now uninhabitable. Rabin is the younger sister of assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. Most of the residents of other kibbutzim in the area, as well as in cities such as Metula and Kiryat Shmona, have also been evacuated, with no due date on which residents can return to their homes. Most of the homes do not have shelters, which is one of the reasons that residents are unable to return. With all the goodwill of the hotels that accommodate them and which they acknowledge, the majority of displaced people are homesick and tired of being cooped up in one room with their children and sometimes with their parents as well. They are also fearful of losing their jobs because, in too many instances, they are staying too far away from their places of employment or those places are still not functioning due to the war.

Compensation that has been promised for damages and loss of income has not been forthcoming, and according to complaints aired on radio, only two members of Knesset have toured the area to try and assess the needs. Indifference is no reason to elect legislators; they are supposed to represent the people but are falling down on the job.

■  IN THE years in which Jewish communities in the free world were campaigning for the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate, the late Meir Kahane was a global Jewish hero. He organized numerous protest demonstrations outside the Soviet Embassy and boycotts of Soviet cultural events in the United States. But more than that, he founded the Jewish Defense League (JDL) to protect American Jews from antisemitism by hitting back and hitting back hard. The problem was that the JDL was so radical and violent that it was declared a terrorist organization. When Kahane came to live in Israel, some of his JDL followers joined him, along with their racist tendencies. In Israel, Kahane founded the ultra-nationalist, anti-Arab Kach movement, of which Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, then a teenager, was a member, and remains true to his master’s teachings. Kahane served one term in the Knesset, but he was convicted of terrorist activities and widely considered persona non grata.

Although too young and geographically removed from being a Kahanist, Australian broadcaster Avi Yemini is also rabidly right-wing and a provocateur to boot.

The son of an Israeli mother and an Australian father, his real surname is Waks. If the name rings a bell, he is one of the 16 siblings of Manny Waks, the whistleblower on sexual abuse of children in Jewish religious institutions who has campaigned against the abusers wherever they are. Other than being strongly determined about their respective causes, the two brothers are not alike.

Manny lives in Israel. Avi, who spent three years as a lone soldier with the Golani Brigade, served mostly on the Gaza border. On his return to Australia, he opened a Jewish defense gym, teaching Israeli methods of unarmed combat.

Yemini wants to get all Palestinians and other Arabs out of Australia. As the Australian-born son of an Australian-born father, he resents their presence and their efforts to exert political and religious influence.

Several of his activities are via his Rebel News Service, some of which he posts on Facebook.

Many Australian expats living in Israel have received at least one such video from relatives and friends in the “old country.” Among the more recent ones is his altercation with a Palestinian trio, who, when demonstrating outside Parliament House in Melbourne the previous day, attacked an innocent bystander.

Yemini approached Mohammad Sharab, the trio’s leader, to ask why.

Sharab, who speaks English with a distinctly foreign accent and whose grammar is faulty, didn’t want to talk to Yemini and told him not to invade his space or touch him. But Yemini deliberately provoked him, kept touching him, and told him that it was not his space because he’s not an Australian, whereas Yemini is an Australian, and so the space is Yemini’s. The altercation led to a screaming match, which included the involvement of one of Sharab’s companions and led to police intervention. At different times, a policeman and, later, a policewoman made polite but firm attempts to separate the two sides. They eventually succeeded in the most non-violent way, despite the fact that both Sharab and Yemini have histories of violence that were reported in the media.

Yemini is an example of someone who is able to choose his friends but not his relatives. He is a distant cousin of Mark Regev, a former longtime spokesperson and media adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a former Israel ambassador to the Court of St. James, and currently the chair of the Abba Eban Institute for Foreign Relations at Reichman University. Needless to say, Regev, who speaks in person and on Zoom to diverse audiences, has also been drawn into Israel’s current public diplomacy network.