Marcus Sheff | |
|---|---|
 Sheff testifying before the US Congress on the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel | |
| Born | 1963 (age 60–61) Whitefield, Manchester, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Alma mater | University of Leeds |
Marcus Sheff (born 1963) is an Israeli-British non-profit chief executive officer (CEO), former media executive and journalist.
Sheff was born in the Whitefield, Manchester, United Kingdom in 1963 in a Jewish family. [1] His late father, Alan, a dentist, was president of the Whitefield Hebrew Congregation. [1] His mother, Sylvia, was a recipient of the MBE. [1] She led a campaign to free Soviet Jews, most notable among them is Natan Sharansky. [1]
Sheff was educated at the Prestwich Jewish Day School, now known as Yesoiday Hatorah as well as Bolton School. [1] Later, he attended the University of Leeds and graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations. [1] [2] He held several posts at the student union as was elected General Secretary of Leeds University Union in 1984 and on the NUS anti-racism committee in 1985. [1]
Sheff is married to Inbal. [1]
At the age of 23 Sheff moved to Israel. [1] There, he became involved in the political world after joining The Nation as a reporter. [1] Later, when The Nation became defunct, he joined The Jerusalem Post and worked there for the next two years as an editor. [1]
In 1990 Sheff co-founded strategic communications company, The Word Shop and after selling it a decade later, worked in strategic communications for global firms. [1]
From 2007 to 2014 Sheff was the chief executive officer (CEO) of The Israel Project. [1] [3] Before joining the Israel Project, he was the CEO of Intermedia. [4]
In 2020 Sheff was included in the Algemeiner Journal's Jewish 100 list. [5]
Sheff is the current CEO of the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se). [5] [6] Under his tenure, IMPACE-se has submitted extensive reports which evaluate the textbook curriculum of countries around the world, particularly the Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, [7] the United Arab Emirates, [8] Qatar, [9] Yemen [10] and the Palestinian Authority, [11] urging them to reform their textbooks. [6] In many instances, the suggestions were accepted, and the textbooks in question were reformed and became more moderate. [12]
Sheff is also a Major in reserves in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Unit. [13]
Antisemitism has increased greatly in the Arab world since the beginning of the 20th century, for several reasons: the dissolution and breakdown of the Ottoman Empire and traditional Islamic society; European influence, brought about by Western imperialism and Arab Christians; Nazi propaganda and relations between Nazi Germany and the Arab world; resentment over Jewish nationalism; the rise of Arab nationalism; and the widespread proliferation of anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist conspiracy theories.
Scholars have studied and debated Muslim attitudes towards Jews, as well as the treatment of Jews in Islamic thought and societies throughout the history of Islam. Parts of the Islamic literary sources give mention to certain Jewish groups present in the past or present, which has led to debates. Some of this overlaps with Islamic remarks on non-Muslim religious groups in general.
The Saudi Arabian textbook controversy refers to criticism of the content of school textbooks in Saudi Arabia following the September 11 attacks.
This is a list of countries where antisemitic sentiment has been experienced.
Textbooks in Israel and the Palestinian territories have been an issue within the larger Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE), formerly known as the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace (CMIP), is an Israeli non-profit organization that monitors the content of school textbooks, specifically how they educate in relation to religion, societies, cultures, democratic values and the 'Other'. It examines school curricula worldwide, to determine whether the material conforms to international standards as derived from UNESCO declarations and resolutions, advocating for change when necessary. The organization believes that education should be utilized to encourage tolerance, pluralism and democracy, and promote peaceful means of solving conflicts.
Jewish history in the territory of modern Saudi Arabia begins in classical antiquity.
The history of the Jews in the United Arab Emirates describes the historical and modern presence of Jews over the millennia in the Middle East and the recorded meetings with Jewish communities in areas that are today in the geographic territories of the United Arab Emirates.
Antisemitic incidents escalated worldwide in frequency and intensity during the Gaza War, and were widely considered to be a wave of reprisal attacks in response to the conflict.
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a fabricated antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan to achieve global domination. The text was fabricated in the Russian Empire, and was first published in 1903. While there is continued popularity of The Protocols in nations from South America to Asia, since the defeat of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan in World War II, governments or political leaders in most parts of the world have generally avoided claims that The Protocols represent factual evidence of a real Jewish conspiracy. The exception to this is the Middle East, where a large number of Arab and Muslim regimes and leaders have endorsed them as authentic. Past endorsements of The Protocols from Presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Iraqi President Arif, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, and Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya, among other political and intellectual leaders of the Arab world, are echoed by 21st century endorsements from the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, and Hamas, to the education ministry of Saudi Arabia.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is a New York–based international Jewish non-governmental organization and advocacy group.
Elder of Ziyon is an American pro-Israel blog. It is written anonymously.
The "three Ds" or the "3D test" of antisemitism is a set of criteria formulated by Israeli human rights advocate and politician Natan Sharansky in order to distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from antisemitism. The three Ds stand for delegitimization, demonization, and double standards, each of which, according to the test, indicates antisemitism.
Palestinian Media Watch is an Israel-based nongovernmental organization and media watchdog group. Founded in 1996 by Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media Watch documents cases of incitement in Palestinian media. It describes itself as "an Israeli research institute that studies Palestinian society from a broad range of perspectives by monitoring and analyzing the Palestinian Authority through its media and schoolbooks."
Saudi Arabian media often attacks Jews in books, news articles, and mosques with what some describe as antisemitic satire. Saudi Arabian government officials and state religious leaders often promote the idea that Jews are conspiring to take over the entire world; as proof of their claims, they publish and frequently cite The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as factual.
Venezuelan Jews in Israel are Jewish immigrants and descendants of the immigrants of the Venezuelan Jewish communities, who now reside within the state of Israel.
The working definition of antisemitism, also called the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism or IHRA definition, is a non-legally binding statement on what antisemitism is, that reads: "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." Accompanying the working definition, but of disputed status, are 11 illustrative examples whose purpose is described as guiding the IHRA in its work, seven of which relate to criticism of the Israeli government. As such, pro-Israeli organizations have been advocates for the worldwide legal adoption of the definition.
In 2018 and 2019, antisemitism in the United States was reported to have increased compared to previous years according to statistics collected by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Defamation League. These statistics include both violent antisemitic attacks on Jews and cases of harassment. Antisemitism has also been reported during the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.
Ellie Cohanim is an American broadcast journalist who served as Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the United States Department of State during the Donald Trump administration.
StopAntisemitism is an American non-profit watchdog organization focused on combating antisemitism. A proponent of new antisemitism, it additionally targets groups and individuals critical of Israel.