Hey everyone! As always, feel free to reach out to me with questions, comments, or concerns at newsofthejews@gmail.com. If you need good Jewish/Israeli shows or movies, make sure to check out this newsletter.
Israeli actress Gal Gadot cast as Cleopatra in an upcoming film, stirring controversy over the Egyptian Queen’s heritage:
What happened? Last week, reports emerged claiming Israeli actress Gal Gadot had been cast to play Cleopatra in an upcoming movie. Gadot, who is known for the titular role in Wonder Woman, confirmed the news and said she was excited to make the film with Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins “through women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera.”
What’s the big deal? Why is this controversial? Some have suggested that it is inappropriate for Gadot, who is Jewish, Israeli, and has a fair complexion, to play the Egyptian queen. To the critics, Gadot’s casting is another example of Hollywood “whitewashing” a historical figure and denying an important role to women of color. Similarly, others have said it is a step in the wrong direction for Hollywood representation.
USA Today via AP.
Was Cleopatra Egyptian? It’s complicated. Cleopatra was certainly born in Egpyt and ruled over Egypt, but she was not necessarily Egyptian. She came from a long line of Macedonian Greeks on her father’s side and she was actually the first in her line to learn to speak the Egyptian language. At the same time, historians do not know much about her maternal ancestry, so some have speculated that she could have been half-Egyptian. Either way, History (The History Channel) described her as “not ethnically Egyptian,” and the Smithsonian Magazine says she would have spoken Greek and followed Greek customs.
Anything else? Here’s a new video of Gal Gadot teaching Hebrew slang!
Further reading: https://www.jpost.com/israeli-women/twitter-explodes-over-casting-of-white-israeli-gal-gadot-as-cleopatra-645428 (JPost)
Israel and Bahrain formally agree to establish relations:
What happened? Yesterday, Bahrain and Israel signed a “Joint Communiqué,” establishing “diplomatic, peaceful, and friendly relations.” The document, signed by Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, codifies Israel’s fourth peace agreement with an Arab state. United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin flew to Bahrain and attended the ceremony as well.
Did they sign any other agreements? What did they say? Delegates from both countries signed between eight memoranda of understanding, including the core peace and normalization agreement. The memoranda touched on topics ranging from justice to agriculture. According to reports, however, the agreements will not include any reference to the Palestinians. Still, in remarks after the signing ceremony, al-Zayani said, “The Palestinian question must be solved through direct negotiations between the two sides to reach a solution which satisfies both parties and brings about a two-state solution, according to the principles of the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant international law.”
Anything else? Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to allow 28 flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi and Dubai every week. Elsewhere, Sudan is rumored to be on the brink of striking another normalization agreement with Israel.
Further reading: https://www.axios.com/israel-bahrain-diplomatic-agreement-2a00edcb-6dda-4189-a48a-0b27a6961b9d.html
Honorable Mentions:
“Facebook Bans Content About Holocaust Denial From Its Site” by Sheera Frenkel (NYT)
“Twitter will ban Holocaust denial posts, following Facebook” by Jacob Kastranakes (The Verge)
“Stop Being Shocked” by Bari Weiss (Tablet)
“Saeb Erekat rushed to Israeli hospital as COVID-19 condition worsens” by Khaled Abu Toameh (JPost) (Saeb Erekat is a former Chief Negotiator for the Palestinians and is currently the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Liberation Organization)
“‘It’s totally irresponsible’: How New York Jews feel watching the unrest in Borough Park” by Ben Sales (JTA)
“Cuomo holds call with Jewish leaders amid tension over large gatherings” by Jacob Kornbluh (Jewish Insider)
“In Hungary, the left and the far right have united to defeat Viktor Orban. He says Jewish groups are giving them a pass on anti-Semitism.” by Cnaan Liphshiz (JTA)
“Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says he is being treated for cancer” by Ben Harris (JTA)
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