Donald H. Harrison

Leading rabbi challenges Sweden: End bans on milah, shechita

The President of the Conference of European Rabbis has challenged the Swedish government to lift all restrictions on Jewish practices in Sweden, after its Ambassador to Israel claimed his prime minister wants to lead the fight against worldwide anti-Semitism. In a letter to Prime Minister Stefan L&oumlfven, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt – who also serves as […]

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International, Jewish Religion

Gaza Arabs demand UN stop Israel’s anti-terror tunnel wall

Construction of an underground security wall along Israel”s border with Gaza has prompted an outcry in the Strip, with calls for intervention by international human rights organizations and the United Nations to block the Israeli plan. The wall, which will run tens of yards into the ground and is intended to block Hamas terror tunnels,

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Middle East

Iran: several planned Islamic State terrorist attacks foiled

Tehran (dpa) – Iran has foiled several terrorist attacks planned by Islamic State sympathizers across the country, the head of the Iranian National Security Council was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency Monday. Police had arrested a terrorist group planning to carry out several suicide attacks in Tehran, Ali Shamkhani told ISNA. According

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Middle East

Putin Ally Hails Trump’s U.S. Invite As ‘Common Sense’

Alexey Pushkov, the head of the Russian parliament’s International Affairs Committee, has praised U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s plans to invite Vladimir Putin to Washington. Putin and Trump have exchanged a series of compliments over the course of Trump’s campaign to become president of the U.S. Pushkov, who is a vocal member of Putin’s United

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International, USA

Israel Building Underground Gaza Wall to Foil Tunnels

Israel is building an underground wall meters below ground level that aims to prevent Hamas’ smuggling and attack tunnels weaving into Israeli territory, according to local media reports. Israel’s top-selling newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, reported Thursday that military leaders had approved the expensive defense project that would protect the entire 60 kilometer length of the Israel-Gaza

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Middle East

Tel Aviv, Orlando, Birstall, Magnanville …

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–Whether it was by coincidence or not, the supplement that came with the Ha’aretz newspaper last weekend contained a long article about – and interview with – Professor Telma Handler, a psychiatrist, psychologist and international expert on the brain whose most recent research has focused on the mechanism of empathy.

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle East, USA

Google permitted Auschwitz game to be distributed as an app

JERUSALEM (WJC) — Colette Avital, the head of the Center of Holocaust Survivor Organizations in Israel and a member of the Executive of the World Jewish Congress-Israel, expressed indignation and outrage over a program available on Google Play which invited users to “live like a real Jew in Auschwitz.” “We cannot understand how the top management of Google

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International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA

Middle East Roundup: June 20, 2016

  Israel incentivizes Arab municipalities to fight illegal construction (JNS.org) The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved the appropriation of about $3.6 billion for Israeli-Arab communities, but made the funds contingent on Arab municipalities fighting illegal construction. The cabinet decided that the newly allotted funds would go to municipalities that agreed to increase efforts to battle

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Middle East

Netanyahu and Kerry to meet as French peace push continues

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet next week in a European capital, against the backdrop of the French peace initiative and a Quartet report likely to severely criticize Israel”s policies in Judea and Samaria, Haaretz reported Sunday. A senior Israeli official said Netanyahu spoke with Kerry by telephone

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International, Middle East, USA