Israeli-Palestinian conflict talks a ‘non-issue,’ says Ya’alon
(JNS.org) The current U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations are a “non-issue,” Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Tuesday at the Institute for National Security Studies conference in Tel Aviv.
“The Palestinian subject is a non-issue,” Ya’alon said. “Behind closed doors the Palestinian issue does not even come up. In public one has to pay lip service.”
“Only two weeks ago [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas said no to recognizing Israel as the Jewish nation, so what are we even talking about?” he said. “Abbas did not want negotiations then and does not want them now. He has come to the table to release [Palestinian] prisoners. We want to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority because we live side by side, and there are things we need to do together. But it looks like my generation will not see peace and quiet with the Palestinians.”
According to Ya’alon, America “has decided to lower its profile, to be less active and less involved in the [Middle East], and now some fear Tehran more than Washington.”
“The U.S. has decided to be less involved, to stop being the world’s policeman and distance itself from areas of conflict. Look at what is happening in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria,” Ya’alon said.
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In State of the Union, Obama says he would veto new Iran sanctions bill
(JNS.org) In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Barack Obama said he would veto a new Iran sanctions bill if presented with one, but that he would “be the first to call for more sanctions” if Iranian leaders “do not seize this opportunity” for a diplomatic solution to the issue of their nuclear program.
“The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity [for negotiations with Iran] possible,” Obama said. “But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it. For the sake of our national security, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed. If Iran’s leaders do not seize this opportunity, then I will be the first to call for more sanctions, and stand ready to exercise all options to make sure Iran does not build a nuclear weapon.”
On the topic of the U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations, Obama said American diplomacy “is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel—a Jewish state that knows America will always be at their side.”
The president said U.S. diplomacy, back by pressure, has also “halted the progress of Iran’s nuclear program—and rolled parts of that program back—for the very first time in a decade.”
“As we gather here tonight, Iran has begun to eliminate its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium,” he said. “It is not installing advanced centrifuges. Unprecedented inspections help the world verify, every day, that Iran is not building a bomb. And with our allies and partners, we’re engaged in negotiations to see if we can peacefully achieve a goal we all share: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”
Negotiations with Iran “do not rely on trust” and any long-term nuclear deal “must be based on verifiable action that convinces us and the international community that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb,” said Obama. If Iran’s leaders “do seize the chance” for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue, Iran “could take an important step to rejoin the community of nations, and we will have resolved one of the leading security challenges of our time without the risks of war,” he said.
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Employment program will place young adults with disabilities at five Jewish federations
(JNS.org) The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and the Ruderman Family Foundation plan to place young adults with disabilities in internships and fellowships at five federations across the country and at JFNA’s Washington office through the new Ruderman Family Foundation Opportunity Initiative. The program’s one-year pilot begins this year.
“This initiative, in collaboration with JFNA, will provide an outstanding opportunity to promote inclusion and diversity in our Jewish institutions,” said Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation. “Each of these five federations along with JFNA has a clear vision for how they can best develop a culture of inclusion in their organization through providing this opportunity to people with disabilities, and we look forward to working alongside them to make this program a reality.”
The five federations will seek to fill specially designed positions at each of their offices. The participating federations are The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, and the UJA-Federation of New York. The five federations were selected from the 16 federations represented on JFNA’s Human Services & Public Policy Disability Committee.
“The Ruderman Family Foundation Opportunity Initiative offers federations an inspiring and critically important opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives and in the way our federations and their communities view the issue of inclusion. This is a pilot project that we are confident will turn into a culture shift for work and inclusion across the spectrum of Jewish experiences,” said Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of JFNA.
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Pete Seeger leaves behind complicated legacy on Israel
(JNS.org) Legendary folk singer and political activist Pete Seeger, 94, died peacefully on Monday at a New York City hospital, according to his family.
Famous for 1960s hits like “If I Had a Hammer,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” Seeger was also well known for speaking out for worker’s rights and participating in the civil rights movement. But Seeger also left behind a complicated legacy when it came to Israel.
Seeger drew headlines in 2011 for coming out in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, expressing support for the BDS group Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD).
According to an ICAHD press release, Seeger had donated portions of the royalties from his 1960s hit “Turn, Turn, Turn” to the group.
On the other hand, Seeger participated in an online peace rally for the Arava Institute, an environmental academic program in Israel, in 2010. But after discovering that Arava had ties to the Jewish National Fund, Seeger said, “I support the BDS movement as much as I can.”
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Shin Bet arrests 16 Arab suspects in eastern Jerusalem for Hamas ties
(JNS.org) The Israeli Security Service (Shin Bet) has arrested 16 suspects in eastern Jerusalem for ties to the Palestinian terror group Hamas.
According to the Shin Bet, the 16 men were “prominent operatives with Hamas in East Jerusalem and members of its operations branch and among the leaders of its activities at the Temple Mount.”
Several of the men had served previous prison terms for being members of Hamas. The Shin Bet added that the arrest highlights Hamas’s efforts to expand and recruit members in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Recently, the Shin Bet also uncovered a plot by Arab men affiliated with al-Qaeda in eastern Jerusalem to target the U.S. Embassy, the Jerusalem Convention Center, and other civilian targets.
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Neturei Karta man convicted for attempting to spy for Iran
(JNS.org) A man affiliated with the Orthodox anti-Zionist sect Neturei Karta has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for charges that he was attempting to spy for Iran.
Itzhak Bergel, 47, was convicted Tuesday in a Jerusalem District Court. According to the indictment, Bergel traveled to Germany from Israel in January 2011 and reportedly visited the Iranian Embassy there to offer his services as a spy, Ynet reported.
At the meeting, Bergel reportedly said he was in favor of overthrowing the Israeli government and willing to murder Israelis. He was then given a note to contact an Iranian email address.
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Preceding provided by JNS.org