World news-roundup: 40 Brazilian diplomats oppose settler as new ambassador

Country: Brazil

More than 40 former Brazilian diplomats have signed an open letter opposing the appointment of Dani Dayan, a settler leader, as Israel’s new ambassador to the country. Senior Brazilian leaders have also voiced concern. Dayan opposes settlement freezes and the idea of a Palestinian state.

Country: Germany

Hitler’s Mein Kampf sold out on its first day of republication, after demand for the new edition far outstripped supply. A heavily-annotated 2,000-page edition of the Nazi leader’s anti-Semitic manifesto was released late last week, after the 70 year copyright expired. Academics want it for teaching.

Country: France

A French auction house cancelled the sale of a painting that equates Nelson Mandela with Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who Israel found guilty of terrorism and murder. The sale was pulled after Israel’s embassy in Paris complained. Mandela was also labelled a terrorist before ending apartheid.

Country: Netherlands

Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs has blasted peers for ‘lumping Judaism and Christianity into one meatloaf religion’. It comes after more than 50 Orthodox rabbis, including the chief rabbis of Finland and Croatia, praised a ‘divine plan’ for Jews and Christians to work together to redeem the world.

Country: Portugal

Lisbon is to get its own Jewish museum from 2017, council chiefs have announced. It will open in the ancient Alfama district of the Portuguese capital, which was once home to the country’s largest Jewish community. No details were given relating to costs, but the project is believed to be privately funded.

Country: Paraguay

Israel has said it will provide aid to Paraguayans hit by massive floods. More than 100,000 people in the land-locked South American state have been forced from their homes after a month of torrential rain attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon. Poor residents in low-lying slums have been worst hit.