Page 26 - Jewish News_Oct2021

26A October 2021 ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

BRIEFS was a silver earned by Moran Samuel,
39, in the women’s single 2,000-meter
HELP...
HELP... continued from previous page event. She trains with coach Paula Gri-
zetti at the Daniel Rowing Center in
Tel Aviv.
Israel’s 33-member Paralympics
s a
is a the May conflict with Gaza saw a 75% team (15 men, 18 women) competed in
i
spike in antisemitic incidents in the
U.S. – a staggering number consider-
11 sports: athletics, badminton, boccie,
phone
phone ing the already large increase in an- goalball, paracanoeing, power lifting,
tisemitism over the last few years.
rowing, shooting, swimming, table
What we have experienced is a
tennis and wheelchair tennis.
call
call paradigm shift, the culmination of a Paralympic Committee, 10 types of
According to the International
confluence of movements and events
a wa y that have nurtured, encouraged and impairments make an athlete eligible:
away
seemingly legitimized anti-Zionism –
impaired muscle power, impaired pas-
and provided a license to discriminate
against and target Jews for their pos- sive range of movement, limb deficien-
cy, leg length difference, short stature,
sible association with the Jewish state. hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision im-
In partnership with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and As violence and hate crimes against pairment and intellectual impairment.
the generosity of our donors, JFCS of the Suncoast is able to offer Jews skyrocketed, many progressive Classification systems differ by
the following services at no cost to anyone in the organizations, usually so quick to ral- sport. Some Paralympic sports are de-
Jewish community regardless of age: ly around threatened minority groups, signed for athletes with one eligible
have sadly been absent and silent. impairment type. Goalball, for exam-
• A friendly voice At the same time, the line between ple, is only for athletes with a vision
• Counseling Get the anti-Zionism and antisemitism has too impairment. Other sports, such as
often almost ceased to exist.
• Caregiver support assistance Nearly 50 years ago, the great Is- athletics and swimming, are open to
athletes with any of the 10 eligible im-
• Bereavement support groups raeli diplomat Abba Eban said, “Clas- pairments.
Israel has participated in the
• Pastoral care you need! sical antisemitism denies the rights Paralympic Games since the first com-
of Jews as citizens within society.
• Delivered meals Anti-Zionism denies the equal rights petition in 1960. The first delegation
• Temporary financial assistance of the Jewish people to their lawful won two silver medals and two bronze
sovereignty within the community of medals, in swimming, table tennis and
nations. All that has happened is that wheelchair basketball.
If you are in need of the discriminating principle has been Israeli Paralympic athletes have
assistance, don’t hesitate transferred from the realm of individ- earned 129 gold, 125 silver and 130
to call JFCS at ual rights to the domain of collective bronze medals in the history of the
941-366-2224 identity.” (William C. Daroff, CEO of Games, which traditionally are held
extension 112. the Conference of Presidents of Major two weeks after the Olympic Games at
American Jewish Organizations, New the same venue.
York Daily News) In the 2016 Rio Paralympics, the

ISRAELI PARALYMPIANS tally was three bronze medals, won by
Moran Samuel in rowing, Doron Sha-
COME HOME WITH NINE ziri in shooting and Inbal Pezaro in
MEDALS, NEW RECORDS swimming. (Abigail Klein Leichman,
Israel’s Paralympic team earned six israel21c.org)
Since 2017, gold medals, two silvers and one AMERICANS’ SHIFTING

5,874 bronze from the Tokyo Paralympics VIEWS ON THE
NEVER FORGET
that ended September 5. Eight of those
Holocaust, Genocide nine medals were won in swimming. PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI
In the process, the Israelis set some
and Tolerance Education area students new records in this Olympic competi- CONFLICT
have heard testimony
The Palestinians are waging a sustained
from Holocaust survivors tion for people with physical disabili- propaganda battle to win over Western
ties.
hearts and minds, especially in the U.S.
Mark Malyar, 21, earned a gold Turning Israel’s struggle for survival
#NEVERFORGET medal in the men’s 200-meter individ- upside down, the fake Palestinian nar-
Ensuring we
ual medley, a gold in the men’s 400m rative of unblemished victimhood has
Your story of survival moved freestyle and a bronze in the men’s made inroads into American public
me and I will remember you 100m backstroke. He set new records opinion. Yet, examination of American
for the rest of my life. for his disability category in the 200m attitudes toward the Palestinian-Israeli
and 400m events.
– North Port High School Student Ami Dadaon, 20, won a gold med- conflict over the past two decades re-
al in the 200m freestyle, a gold in the veals stable and highly favorable feel-
ings toward Israel, and unfavorable, if
men’s 50m freestyle and a silver in the somewhat improving, attitudes toward
150m individual medley. He set re- the Palestinians.
cords in the 200m and 50m events in Over the past two decades, Israel’s
Invite a Holocaust his disability category. favorability rating in surveys has risen
Iyad Shalabi, 34, became the first
survivor to your school, Arab-Israeli to win a medal in the from 62% in 2000 to 74% in 2020. By
contrast, favorable opinions of the Pal-
Olympics or Paralympics for Israel.
synagogue or library. He won a gold in the men’s 50m back- estinian Authority were 21% in 2000
and 23% in 2020. More than any other
stroke and a gold in the men’s 100m
backstroke. single factor, it is the intensity of Pales-
tinian violence and intransigence that
All three of these swimming med-
To book a speaker, contact Anne Stein alists train at Ilan Rehabilitation and has determined the way Palestinians
HOLOCAUST SPEAKERS BUREAU COORDINATOR Sports Center in Haifa under coach and the PA were seen by Americans.
luvhula@gmail.com Yaacov Beininson. (Eytan Gilboa, Middle East Quarterly)
The ninth medal for Team Israel continued on next page

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