The major news stories of the past year,The Current: Year in Review 5777, The major news stories of the past year
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People
Trump’s Jewish Advisors
Many US presidents have appointed Jewish advisors but the Trump administration is the first to engage three observant Jews in three key foreign policy posts. For Jared Kushner Jason Greenblatt and David Friedman it’s a mixed blessing. They all face extra scrutiny and pressure — from Palestinians who openly level charges of bias and from Israeli officials and pro-Israel groups who harbor great expectations of unconditional support that may or may not come to fruition.
Phenomena
European Hostility Grows
A new poll shows that one in three British Jews have considered emigrating due to anti-Semitism. Two large regions in Belgium ban shechitah. A junior member of Norway’s ruling coalition announces it favors a ban on bris milah and that boys should decide for themselves when they reach 16. In Hungary billboards sanctioned by Budapest’s right-wing ruling party smear native Jewish son George Soros for his leftist political views. Adding insult to injury a Swiss hotel singles out Jewish summer vacationers demanding they shower before entering the swimming pool.
People
Bibi’s Day of Judgment
Rosh Chodesh Nissan is judgment day for kings and Binyamin Netanyahu’s political head has been on the chopping block since then following new revelations in a series of corruption scandals involving top aides.
Netanyahu has not been implicated in their sins but investigators are probing whether gifts he accepted from wealthy overseas friends constitute bribery and whether he tried to influence a Knesset bill regulating newspaper competition to obtain favorable media coverage.
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