RELIGION HEADLINES TUE 7-14

(SRN NEWS)-

(  )  A new AP-NORC poll finds that American Jews are divided over whether protesting an event related to Israel is an act of prejudice against Jewish people generally.  About 50 percent of Jewish adults say anti-Israel protests are not a form of anti-Semitism, but roughly 40 percent say they are.  Two-thirds of Jewish adults think criticizing Israel for its military actions is not a form of anti-Semitism.  But Jewish adults with a close emotional connection to Israel are more likely to believe that criticism of Israel’s military actions is anti-Semitic.  That said, very few American Jews say it’s anti-Semitic just to criticize Israel for “any reason.”

(  )  Two boys who were seeking to play on girl’s sports teams in New Hampshire have withdrawn their lawsuit.  The action comes in the wake of the June ruling by the Supreme Court upholding state bans on males playing against females in school sports.  The teenagers first challenged President Trump’s executive order barring federal funding for schools that allow boys to play on girls teams, later amending their complaint to target New Hampshire’s ban on the practice.  A growing number of states are passing laws to prevent males from joining female sports teams.  Others are barring males from female restrooms and locker rooms.

(  )  French President Emmanuel Macron is decrying the resurgence of anti-Semitism in France.  He spoke on Sunday at the inauguration of a statue honoring Captain Alfred Dreyfus, whose wrongful conviction exposed deep-rooted anti-Jewish bias. The ceremony marked 120 years since Dreyfus’ was exonerated.  Earlier, police evacuated 300 people from a suburb near a synagogue, after finding a suspicious vehicle with a military weapon.  France has seen a surge in anti-Semitic acts since the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.  Macron calls for vigilance against targeting people for who they are.