AJFF Prizes; Trump on 2 States; Be’er Sheva Soccer

Here are a few essential, interesting and fun items to start the day right in the Jewish community.

In Case You Missed It

• Eighteen candidates are on the ballot for the April 18 special election to replace Tom Price in Congress, while the votes are already in for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s first jury prizes.

To Do Today

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• American Jewish Committee Atlanta and friends are organizing a dinner and discussion to celebrate a quarter-century of formal ties between Israel and India, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Ashiana Banquet Hall & Restaurant, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross. The cost is $15 in advance or $20 at the door; www.ajcatlanta.org/jewsandindians2017.

From The Times of Israel

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House led to President Donald Trump backing off the longtime U.S. commitment to a two-state solution.
• This week marks the aliyah of 102 members of India’s Bnei Menashe community.
• El Al and its pilots union have reached a deal, ending worries about canceled flights.

Also in the News

• Israel’s top soccer club, Hapoel Be’er Sheva, opens play in the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League against top Turkish team Besiktas at 3 p.m. Atlanta time today. The Jerusalem Post has a preview of the game, and The New York Times examines the phenomenon of a team in Be’er Sheva surpassing the traditional soccer powers in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
• Thanks to AJT friend Lew Regenstein, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jim Galloway has the story of the time an all-white jury acquitted Martin Luther King Jr. in Alabama in 1960.
• The Southern Poverty Law Center reported a slight rise in active hate groups in the United States in 2016, and while it highlighted the sharp rise in anti-Muslim groups (201 in 2016 from 34 in 2015), at least 550 of the 917 groups counted by the SPLC are anti-Semitic, JTA reported.
• On the other hand, the Pew Research Center found that Americans overall have warmer feelings for Jews than for any other religious group.
• Israel is 14th of 16 in ESPN’s power rankings for the World Baseball Classic, which starts March 6. By the way, Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is playing for Team Canada, so it’s not just Israel that takes advantage of loose rules for nationality.

Opinions

• Many Jewish groups reacted negatively to Trump’s willingness to see a one-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, JTA reports.
• Writing before the Netanyahu-Trump meeting, Al-Monitor’s Mazal Mualem expresses confidence that the Israeli leader won’t abandon the idea of a two-state solution.
• Not surprisingly, Forward Editor in Chief Jane Eisner found plenty to hate about the Netanyahu-Trump press conference.
• After a frenetic Tu B’Shevat seder, AJT blogger Bonnie Levine explains the value of exposing even tiny children to Jewish rituals. (Have something to say, whether it’s every day or once in a while? Join Bonnie as an AJT blogger.)

Fun Finish

• Meir Kay’s video for Benny Friedman’s catchy “Ivri Anochi (I Am a Hebrew)” says it all.