This week: From the Soviet Issue, Linda Kinstler reports on the debates over the Babi Yar memorial in Kyiv (updated to cover Russia’s recent airstrikes in the area). Peter Beinart argues that there are striking similarities between how Russia has justified its invasion of Ukraine and how Israel justifies its subjugation of Palestinians. Jess Schwalb takes a closer look at Chile’s new president Gabriel Boric, who supports the BDS movement.
Plus, from the newsletter, Elisheva Goldberg reports on the Israeli Supreme Court decision that for now is allowing Palestinian families threatened with eviction in Sheikh Jarrah to stay in their homes. And David Klion provides an update on the West’s attempts to sanction Russian oligarchs, and the Jewish institutional world’s continuing hesitation to follow suit.
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Report
The Many Oblivions of Babi Yar
An ambitious creative team promised to make Kyiv home to the biggest and most impressive Holocaust museum in all of Europe. Before Russia attacked the city, scholars and artists had spent years in pitched disagreement over the vision of the memorial.
Linda Kinstler
Analysis
Justifications for Destroying a People
The arguments Russia’s government deploys to dehumanize Ukrainians are strikingly similar to the ones Israel’s government uses to dehumanize Palestinians.
Peter Beinart
Report
What a BDS-Supporting President Means for Chile’s Jewish and Palestinian Diasporas
In Chile, home to a significant Palestinian community as well as a smaller Jewish enclave, the election of leftist Gabriel Boric may galvanize a shift in the politics of Israel/Palestine.
Jess Schwalb
Report
A Judicial Reprieve for Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah
Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that four families slated for eviction can remain in their homes—for now.
Elisheva Goldberg
Report
The Jewish World’s Ambivalence About Russian Oligarchs
As Western governments sanction Putin’s inner circle, Israel and various Jewish organizations are more hesitant.
David Klion