by Jill Finkelstein

Link Roundup: Sexism and Anti-Semitism

Welcome to this week’s installment of Lilith’s Link Roundup. Each week we post Jewish and feminist highlights from around the web. If there’s anything you want to be sure we know about, email us or leave a message in the comments section below.

Following CBS correspondent Lara Logan’s sexual assault in Egypt, many journalists have made offensive remarks citing Logan’s good looks as a reason for her attack. Israeli journalist Tsafi Saar shared her thoughts on the controversy. [Haaretz]

On Tuesday, Fox news correspondent Glenn Beck compared Reform Judaism to radical Islam in response to an open letter signed by 400 rabbis to Rupert Murdoch. The letter was coordinated by Jewish Funds for Justice and criticized Beck for comparing his enemies to Nazis. Beck has since issued an apology. [URJ]

John Galliano, fashion designer and creative director of Christian Dior, was arrested in Paris last night following an anti-Semitic attack on a local couple. He has since been suspended from the fashion label and Dior C.E.O. Sidney Toledano issued a statement citing the company’s zero tolerance policy “towards any anti-Semitic or racist words or behaviour.” [The Shmooze]

The Obama administration announced that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional and has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to no longer defend it in court. [Huffington Post]

In addition, the Obama administration replaced the “Conscience” rule enacted by the Bush administration. The “conscience” rule protected health care workers who refused to perform abortions, sterilizations, in-vitro fertilization, or to provide referrals for patients based on their religious beliefs. [Washington Post]

Last week, seventeen veterans and active-duty service members of the U.S. Military filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense, specifically Defense Secretary Robert Gates and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, for failure to take action after they reported being sexually assaulted or raped. [Jezebel]