Knesset passes “photoshop law” [Haaretz]
Earlier this week, the Knesset passed a law banning the use of underweight models in advertising campaigns and requiring ad agencies to disclose when a photo has been digitally altered in order to make a model look thinner. The measure, which comes on the heels of similar efforts in the U.S. and Britain, is intended to change cultural perceptions of beauty that might promote unhealthy eating habits. Under the new law, phenomena such as the above video, would be outlawed.
“Data from the Knesset’s Research and Information Center presented at legislative hearings revealed that there are about 1,500 children, including teenagers, diagnosed with eating disorders in Israel annually. Evidence presented to the Knesset showed that exposure to idealized media images of bodies is one risk factor in developing an eating disorder, by glorifying the thin body.”
Toulouse Gunman found, killed [NY Times]
Mohammad Merah, the alleged assailant in Monday’s deadly shootings at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, has been shot and killed while attempting to evade the police. Special forces laid siege to his apartment for about 30 hours after the 23-year-old claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack. Merah is also thought to be the primary suspect in a series of murders of French law enforcement officials in the weeks leading up to the rampage in Toulouse.
“While much about Mr. Merah’s past remained unclear or unverified, he seemed to be another example of the kind of homegrown terrorist, with a European nationality and passport, considered a major security threat in a period when Al Qaeda has largely disappeared as a coherent organization.”
Offsetting rising tuition costs [CNN]
In response to the astronomically rising costs of higher education, some colleges and universities are taking measures into their own hands, slashing tuition and eliminating core requirements in order to allow students to graduate early to save money. However, the efficacy of these measures is in question, as more often then not the reduced costs are accompanied by a decrease in financial aid or what some claim to be an elimination of courses that teach required skills.
“In part, these schools are responding to consumers’ concerns about the rising cost of college, said Tony Pals, spokesman for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. “These types of initiatives have been used to some degree in the past, but have become increasingly prevalent since the economic downturn — and we expect to continue to see them spread,” he said.”
BDS likely to fall flat [Forward]
Peter Beinart’s calls for boycotting products with origins in the West Bank are not likely to have an impact on the region’s economy, says Nathan Guttman. He claims:
“Boycotting settlement products could send a symbolic message to Israelis, as Beinart suggests. But on a practical level, such a boycott would be hard to implement and its economic ramifications would be minimal. Israel and the United States do not keep records of settlement products sold in America, but based on existing trade data it is clear that the numbers are marginal.”
