When Vidal Sassoon Fought for Israel’s Independence

After Israel’s War of Independence broke out in the spring of 1948, Vidal Sassoon—at the time a twenty-year-old London barber—set off for the new country in order to fight alongside his brethren. Sassoon’s unit, Zack Rothbart recounts, participated in a risky but successful operation to take “Hill 18” from the Egyptians. In a 2010 interview, the celebrity hairstylist and shampoo magnate recalled that the rudimentary Hebrew instruction he and his fellow English speakers received didn’t include the word “retreat.” Herewith, an excerpt from that interview. (Video, two minutes.)

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More about: Israeli history, Israeli War of Independence

 

How Senator Schumer Put Short-Sighted Partisan Interest over Jewish Concerns

Last week, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce reported on its investigation into anti-Semitism on college campuses. Among the revelations therein is information about the role played behind the scenes by the Senatate majority leader Chuck Schumer, who often touts his own role as “protector” (in Hebrew, shomer) of his fellow Jews in the halls of power. Seth Mandel comments:

The leaders of Columbia, where the anti-Semitism was and is among the worst in the country, eventually came before Congress in April. Three months earlier, President Minouche Shafik met with Schumer, and the supposed shomer told her that Democrats had no problem with her and that only Republicans cared about the anti-Semitism crisis on campus. His office advised Shafik not to meet with Republicans on the Hill. When the Columbia Trustees co-chair David Greenwald texted the previous co-chair Jonathan Lavine about the situation, Lavine responded by saying, “Let’s hope the Dems win the house back.” Greenwald wrote back: “Absolutely.”

This is the message that Schumer had sent about anti-Semitism on campus and that message came through loud and clear: investigations into Jew-hatred would only occur under a Republican majority. Putting Democrats in charge would put a stop to the government’s efforts to help Jews on campus.

Though the Jewish vote is, as always, unlikely to cost Democrats the election, it is simply undeniable that non-Republicans and non-conservatives are fairly disgusted with the type of behavior displayed by Schumer.

Read more at Commentary

More about: Anti-Semitism, Chuck Schumer, Israel on campus, U.S. Politics