August 2010

State Department urges Iran to respect its citizens' fundamental freedoms

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–Following is a statement from the U.S. State Department: The United States is deeply concerned that Iran continues to deny its citizens their civil rights and intimidate and detain those Iranians who seek to hold their government accountable and stand up for the rights of their fellow citizens. We remain troubled by the […]

State Department urges Iran to respect its citizens' fundamental freedoms Read More »

Travel and Food

Bonny Forrest named JFS San Diego’s chief operating officer

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)– Jewish Family Service (JFS) has named Dr. Bonny J. Forrest as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Forrest will oversee the organization’s more than 50 programs that operate out of 15 locations throughout San Diego County, with an additional office in Palm Desert that serves the Coachella Valley. Dr. Forrest has

Bonny Forrest named JFS San Diego’s chief operating officer Read More »

San Diego County

Assessing U.S. Counterterrorism Strategies: An Interview with Michael Chertoff

-Reprinted from Summer 2010 issue of inFocus Quarterly– On May 27, inFOCUS editor Matthew RJ Brodsky interviewed Michael Chertoff, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security from 2005-2009. As secretary he developed and implemented border security policy, homeland security regulations, and a national cyber security strategy. He also served periodically on the National Security

Assessing U.S. Counterterrorism Strategies: An Interview with Michael Chertoff Read More »

Travel and Food

ADL denounces Iranian website as 'cesspool of anti-Semitism'

NEW YORK (Press Release) — Calling it a “virtual cesspool of anti-Semitism,” the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned an Iranian Web site dedicated to Holocaust denial and called on the United States to publicly denounce the Iranian regime’s blatant anti-Semitism. The “HoloCartoon” Web site purports to offer a historical narrative of events occurring before, during and

ADL denounces Iranian website as 'cesspool of anti-Semitism' Read More »

Travel and Food

Commentary: Welcome action by Congress reexamining aid to Lebanese Armed Forces

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday,  in the wake of the killing of an IDF officer inside Israel by Lebanese Armed Forces personnel, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) announced that Congress would block the disbursement of $100 million in U.S. military aid to Lebanon.  Lowey chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee that authorizes such funds.  Similarly,

Commentary: Welcome action by Congress reexamining aid to Lebanese Armed Forces Read More »

Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA

ADL says children born in Israel to foreign workers should be permitted to stay

NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Tuesday called on the Government of Israel to extend, on humanitarian grounds, the protection of legal status to all of the children of foreign workers now in Israel rather than create a distinction which would result in 400 of them being deported from the country.  ADL

ADL says children born in Israel to foreign workers should be permitted to stay Read More »

Middle East

Commentary: A conciliatory Gazan voice emerges

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish appeared on a prime time Israeli news program, speaking in fluent Hebrew, representing the possibility that there might, after all, be a Palestinian Nelson Mandela.  Abuelaish (or Abu al-Aish) is the physician who held appointments in both Gazan and Israeli hospitals, and lost three of his eight

Commentary: A conciliatory Gazan voice emerges Read More »

Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Netanyahu says U.N. flotilla panel may not interrogate IDF soldiers

JERUSALEM (WJC)–Israel has threatened to pull out of a UN inquiry into the IDF raid on the Gaza-bound ‘Freedom Flotilla’ after the UN secretary-general said there was no agreement that the panel would refrain from calling Israeli soldiers to testify. Last week, Jerusalem agreed to participate in the UN probe. Officials said Israel’s agreement was

Netanyahu says U.N. flotilla panel may not interrogate IDF soldiers Read More »

Middle East

Concert of pro-Israeli Tunisian cancelled after protests

TUNIS (WJC)–A musical show scheduled for the Carthage International Festival has been called off after its actors sparked outrage on the internet for performing for Israelis. Selim Baccouche, actor and organizer of the musical ‘Nouraniet’, canceled his show after his co-actor, Tunisian performer Mohsen Cherif voiced support for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a

Concert of pro-Israeli Tunisian cancelled after protests Read More »

Middle East

Patriarch who stripped Romanian Jews of citizenship during Nazi era honored on coin

BUCHAREST (WJC)–Romania’s National Bank has been strongly criticized after minting a coin which depicts the late patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Miron Cristea, who as prime minister stripped many Jews of their citizenship in 1939. Cristea is one of five Romanian Orthodox Church patriarchs the bank has honored with a silver-minted coin. However, after

Patriarch who stripped Romanian Jews of citizenship during Nazi era honored on coin Read More »

Travel and Food