January 2012

Are Egypt’s domestic problems so bad that war with Israel will be a welcome distraction?

By Evelyn Gordon  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last month, Victor Davis Hanson published a fascinating article on why Iran might nevertheless decide to start a war it can’t win. In it, he analyzed several cases in which countries did exactly that, including the Korean War in 1950, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1982 Falklands War and […]

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Middle East

Is Israel giving up its right to be called democratic?

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The usual complaints about the inadequacy of democratic governance are about the majority that disenfranchises a minority. InIsrael, it seems to be the other way around. Often it’s relatively small groups that hold the rest to ransom – democratically. Today’s examples: two minority groups, the settlers (probably around 5%

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Middle East

Misogyny may be found in doctrines of some Muslims, some Jews

  By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Kingston, Ontario was once a quiet peaceful community. That all changed when Mohammad Shafia, his wife, and son decided to murder the girls of their family. When he discovered his daughters sending pictures of themselves posing in bras and panties to their boyfriends, he said,

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

PM’s administrator accused of harrassing woman on staff

By Ira Sharkansky  JERUSALEM–The headlines are about a couple of issues roiling close to the Prime Minister. They do not concern the big stuff that will attract people around the world who look to Israel for the excitement of threat, promise, personal or collective salvation. Insofar as the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister, however,

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Book review: ‘Tough Questions Jews Ask’

Tough Questions Jews Ask: A Young Adult’s Guide to Building a Jewish Life, 2nd Edition by Rabbi Edward Feinstein, Jewish Lights Publishing, 2012, 140 pages, ISBN 978-1-58023-454-2-51599,  U.S. cover price: $15.99. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–Some years ago I interviewed a spokesperson for the Home Instruction for the Parents of Pre-School Youngsters program (or

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Donald H. Harrison

Intern who saved Giffords’ life sought her out because she’s pro-Israel

By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — You know how we hear about social media surveys in Twitter or Facebook?  How the media measures “what’s trending now” about a person or a political event?  Well, Daniel Hernandez was “trending now” amongst my Facebook Friends immediately after the regional AIPAC Dinner in San Diego. The name probably

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San Diego County

‘How to Succeed’ a timely success for the Welk

By Carol Davis ESCONDIDO, CA—It’s a pretty timely event, the dual openings of the Broadway hit, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Lawrence Welk Theatre in Escondido recently opened the award-winning musical by Frank Loesser (music and lyrics), Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willy Gilbert (book) while the revival is presently being played

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Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Israel, U.S. differ over strategy for stopping Iran’s nuclearization

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –The kerfuffle over the postponement of the highly touted “Austere Challenge 12” joint US-Israel military exercise is over. Officials in both countries are now on the same page: it was a “joint decision” having nothing to do with finances, Iran or politics, just “technical issues.” Regardless of the lid they’ve

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Middle East, Shoshana Bryen