Israel’s Wolf Prize honors Placido Domingo
Renowned Spanish tenor Placido Domingo has been chosen to receive the 2012 Wolf Prize for the Arts in Israel, the Jerusalem Post reports. The Wolf Foundation in Israel has been giving out prizes in agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics and the arts since 1978. Two hundred and fifty three scientists and artists from 23 countries have previously won the award. In addition to Israel, Domingo’s fellow laureates this year come from the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. They include a mathematician, a biologist and a Philharmonic conductor. The Israeli Knesset will host the award ceremony on May 13. Domingo’s new prize will be added to his nine Grammy awards, three Latin Grammies, U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom,key to the Venezuelan city of Caracas, Medal of Honor from Oman, and nine honorary doctorates.  -JointMedia News Service

Hacking into Israel
First, computer hackers released online the credit card details of thousands of Israelis. Then, earlier this week, they continued their virtual attack on Israel by disabling the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and El Al websites. According to Ynet, the attack was perpetrated by a group of pro-Palestinian hackers called “Nightmare,” in response to a call by Hamas.
“The penetration into Israeli websites opens a new front for electronic resistance and war against the Israeli occupation,” said a Hamas spokesperson on Sunday, Jan. 15.
This most recent attack, however, had little affect.  Trading on the Tel Aviv stock exchange was not interrupted and operations were up and running by mid-Monday morning. El Al’s site was up and running normally by afternoon.

Nazi railroads can’t do business with Florida
Proposed legislation forces any railroad company to reveal whether it participated in the genocide of the Jewish people during the Holocaust before it can be allowed to do business with the state of Florida. Bill SB 546 refers to any railroad company that transported Jews to Nazi concentration camps during World War II and is now seeking rail contracts from Florida. Specifically, however, the bill targets the French national railroad SNCF, which had been used by the Nazis for this purpose. SNCF wanted to plan a high-speed rail project in Florida last year, but Gov. Rick Scott killed the project. Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) sponsored the measure. It was unanimously approved and goes next to the Community Affairs Committee. —JointMedia News Service

Did I say that?
Rev. Keith Hudson, the father of pop megastar Katy Perry, publicly apologized for antisemitic comments he made, and argued that his words were taken out of context, ABC News reported.
“You know how to make the Jew jealous? Have some money, honey. You go to L.A., and they own all the Rolex and diamond places. Walk down a part of L.A. where we live, and it is so rich it smells. You ever smell rich? They are all Jews, hallelujah. Amen,” he said at a church in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, on Jan. 5.
After the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Simon Wiesenthal Center both condemned the remarks, Hudson released a statement, saying “I used images about Jews rooted in the worst antisemitism in the past, images that at times led to the persecution and murder of Jews…I used them without ever considering what they meant.”

India, Greece and Cyprus to cooperate with Israel
India and Israel are committing to increase their cooperation on issues related to counterterrorism and trade, while both Cyprus and Greece have pledged to boost their defense ties with the Jewish state.
Indian Minister S. M. Krishna visited Israel and said India and Israel must address the “scourge of international terrorism which has become the curse for the entire humanity.” Prime Minister Netanyahu said the two countries are “two ancient peoples seizing the future in technology, in innovation, [and] in enterprise,” Voice of America reported. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak also visited Greece and Greek Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said that the two countries are trying to “make up for lost time.” Greece was a pro-Palestinian country for many years, not recognizing Israel until 1991, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Cyprus also signed two agreements on defense cooperation and protection and exchange of classified information. Details of the agreements were not fully released, but they do include the monitoring of the island’s airspace, according to Cyprus Mail. -JointMedia News Service