Around the Jewish World

SA JEWISH REPORT STAFF

‘Mother of all protests’ pledged by Galloway

LONDON – George Galloway, the notoriously anti-Israel British politician, said he has promised “the mother of all protests” when a cultural festival promoting Tel Aviv takes place in London next year.

In a series of tweets, he also criticised Labour’s mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan for backing the festival.

Galloway, who intends to stand as the Respect Party candidate for mayor in May’s election, asked: “Why @SadiqKhan are you promising to back a Tel Aviv festival? Have you no shame?” – Jewish Chronicle, London

Majority of Israelis support negotiations

JERUSALEM – Most Israelis support negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, including a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but are sceptical that talks will yield results, according to the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University’s monthly Peace Index poll, released last week Tuesday.

When asked for their stance about peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, 61,8 per cent expressed themselves in favour to some degree, while 32,8 per cent oppose negotiations to some degree. Israeli Arabs are far more likely to support talks, with 59,6 per cent very in favour and 27,1 per cent “somewhat” more than Israeli Jews, who are 26,3 per cent “very supportive” and 30,6 per cent “somewhat”.

As for a meeting between Netanyahu and Abbas, 69,8 per cent support and 26,8 per cent oppose, though only 30,9 per cent of Israelis believed Abbas’ comment in a briefing to Israeli press that he made it clear that he wants to meet with Netanyahu, and never received an answer.

Despite their support for talks, most Israelis (67,7 per cent) do not believe that negotiations will bring peace in the coming years and less than a third (29,1 per cent) think it will. – Jerusalem Post

Facebook’s Zuckerberg, richest Jew, sixth wealthiest person overall

LOS ANGELES – Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, the richest Jewish person in the world, has become the sixth-wealthiest overall.

Zuckerberg, 31, has a net worth of $47,5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, slightly ahead of the Koch brothers’ fortune valued at $4,.9 billion, Bloomberg Business reported last week.

Zuckerberg moved past the Kochs when his fortune rose $6 billion in trading when Facebook reported record earnings. In October last year, Zuckerberg was listed Number 8 on the Bloomberg Index.

Bill Gates, Amancio Ortega, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos or Carlos Slim are the top five on the index.

Among Jews, Zuckerberg is ahead of Oracle’s Larry Ellison, who is Number 10 overall.

In December 2015, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced plans to donate 99 per cent of their Facebook shares to charity over their lifetimes. – Jewish Journal (Los Angeles)

Jewish driver beats Manchester bus lane camera

MANCHESTER – A Salford solicitor is hoping a successful appeal against a bus lane fine will have a positive affect for drivers in the UK.

Ari Kornbluth was taking his daughters to swimming lessons at King David High School when he was snapped by a bus lane camera.

No vehicles, except buses and taxis, are allowed in the bus lane between 16:00 and 19:00 from Monday to Friday.

Salford City Council issued Kornbluth with a £60 (about R1 380) penalty charge.

But the 34-year-old disputed it, claiming that the fine was not proportionate to the offence.

He said, “… I needed to turn left and I strayed on to it just before the bus lane ended for possibly just two seconds. The way the junction is laid out means that in order to turn left at the end of the road, you need to merge into the inside lane, so I merged a little too early.

“There is a camera there and I am annoyed that the council had deliberately put it there just to catch people out who turn a second too early.”

The father-of-five, who is a member of the Ohel Torah Congregation in Salford, did some research and realised that councils up and down the country had placed cameras at the end of bus lanes in a bid to catch drivers out.

Kornbluth challenged the penalty on two counts: that it was a minor infringement and that the council was targeting drivers to raise revenue.

“The council just turned it down and told me that I drove in a bus lane,” he recalled. “Therefore, I appealed through an independent adjudicator. I ran the risk of paying the full £60 if I lost. I guess that is why most people just pay the £30 and do not take it further.”

Kornbluth’s appeal was upheld, which meant he did not have to pay a single penny. – Jewish Telegraph

State-aided Orthodox school planned

LONDON – A new state-aided Orthodox Jewish secondary school is being planned to open in Barnet in September next year.

Prospective parents have been invited to a meeting to discuss proposals to launch the Kedem High School.

The projected school is in response to continuing pressure on places at mainstream Jewish secondary schools in London.

According to a website announcing the idea, Kedem would be under the auspices of the Chief Rabbi and run by a body called the Nekdama Trust. The project would be in partnership with Lilac Sky Outstanding Education Services, an educational agency which was called in to manage the Rosh Pinah Primary School in Edgware last year.

The plan would be to apply to the government for Kedem to become a free school. If successful, it would be the first Jewish secondary free school in London.

It would offer “a truly integrated and secular and Jewish curriculum which is rich, varied and challenging”, according to the website.

Nekadma Trust has been set up by Andrew Rotenberg and Rabbi David Lister, respectively the chairman and principal of Rosh Pinah.

A spokesman for Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said that while the Chief Rabbi was “instinctively supportive” of new education proposals, he urged “all those involved to ensure that a comprehensive consultation process is in place, which takes account of community-wide strategic planning on matters relating to education