Is there a Nobel Peace Prize in the near future for former Liberal Justice Minister and human-rights luminary Irwin Cotler? There will be if fellow human-rights superstar Alan Dershowitz has his way. Cotler and Dershowitz are Canada’s two most recognizable names in human rights advocacy. Both are so articulate and passionate about their work that […]
Barbara Kay: A testimony to Canada’s human rights superstar Read More »
InternationalIsraeli President Reuven Rivlin suggested on Sunday that Israel might consider revising its national symbols and its anthem, “Hatikva,” to make the more inclusive to its Arab community, which makes up over 20 percent of the population. Speaking to Arab and Jewish students on Sunday at Jerusalem’s Himmelfarb High School, Rivlin said he “can’t expect
Rivlin: Rethink national symbols, anthem to be more inclusive for Arabs Read More »
Middle EastWARSAW — On the face of it, Maciej Pawlak is an unlikely Jewish day school principal. Born in Szezecin, in northwestern Poland, he was raised in an atheist household and did not even realize he was Jewish until he was a teenager. His father, Zbigniew, was Catholic, and his mother, Alina, was Jewish. “I suspected
He found Judaism at 14. Today he’s at the forefront of Poland’s Jewish revival Read More »
International, Jewish ReligionBy Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York –Nihar Janga and Jairam Hathwar became co-champions of the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee last week by correctly spelling the words “gesellschaft” and “Feldenkrais,” respectively. In 2013, Arvind Mahankali spelled the winning word, “knaidel,” which led to much controversy in the Jewish and Yiddish-speaking world as to whether
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Spelling Bee Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & SatireA significant majority of Stanford University students oppose the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement – despite an anti-Semitism and BDS crises that rocked the university student board earlier this year. 69% of students oppose the anti-Israel movement – including 65% of freshmen, 72% of sophomores, and 73% of juniors, the Stanford Review poll of
Despite anti-Semitism gaffe, Stanford students oppose BDS Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USAThe US-led consortium leading the development of Israel’s offshore gas reserves has announced its first sales deal since a reworked agreement on a key offshore field was given the go-ahead. The consortium, led by US firm Noble Energy, Sunday announced a $3-billion deal to supply 13 billion cubic meters of natural gas from the Leviathan
First sale after Israeli natural gas deal passes Read More »
Middle EastLag Ba’Omer fires may have sparked the massive blazes in Emek HaArazim, Ramot, and Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood the Fire Department announced Monday. A campfire in Emek HaArazim, near Ramot, probably started the blaze as Lag Ba’Omer festivities ended, spreading due to northwest winds at approximately 12:05 pm Thursday, the Investigative Department of the Jerusalem Fire
Lag Ba’Omer bonfires caused Thursday’s major wildfires Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastJordan’s King Abdullah on Sunday dissolved the country”s parliament and appointed veteran politician Hani Mulqi as caretaker prime minister, Reuters reported. Mulqi has been charged by the king with organizing new elections by October. The king accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour before appointing Mulqi by royal decree. Under the constitutional rules the
Jordan’s King dissolves parliament Read More »
Middle EastAli Larijani was re-elected on Sunday as the temporary speaker of Iran’s new parliament which is dominated by first-term deputies, Reuters reported. Larijani, who is considered a “moderate conservative”, cooperated closely with the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in approving Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers last year. He won 173 votes in the
‘Moderate conservative’ re-elected as Iran’s parliament speaker Read More »
Middle EastMoscow- Russia is preparing to return an Israeli tank captured by Syrian troops in the 1982 war that is exhibited at a museum near Moscow. “Israel got the notification that Russian President Vladimir Putin met the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to return the tank that the Syrians gave the Russian army and that
Russia to Return to Israel Tank Seized in 1982 Read More »
International, Middle EastDefying BDS calls for a boycott of Israel, Italy has committed itself to bring the largest ever delegation of Italian academics to Israel. A series of conferences and events will take place across the country for four days this week. Italian and Israeli researchers will be invited to participate in an exchange of information and
Italy spurns BDS with largest ever academic delegation to Israel Read More »
International, Middle EastOne-third of Americans believes that a boycott of Israeli is justified and represents a legitimate means of bringing pressure to bear, according to a survey carried out in the US in advance of a United Nations conference tomorrow, Channel 2 News Online reports. The survey finds that the campaign of the BDS (boycott, disinvest, sanction)
Third of Americans say BDS justified – survey Read More »
Middle East, USAThe European Jewish Congress (EJC) called on European Parliament President Martin Schulz to take action against MEP Martina Anderson on Monday, after she said Israeli lobbyists were “all over this place like a rash” during a parliament meeting last week. “Once again we hear deeply offensive statements about Jews from a European public figure and
Outrage after European parliamentarian compares Jews to ‘rash’ Read More »
International, Middle EastThe Israeli government on Monday morning formally approved the appointment of Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman as defense minister. The approval came after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu finally secured the vital backing of the Jewish Home party, after a compromise deal with Education Minister Naftali Bennett was successfully brokered by Health Minister Yaakov Litzman
Government approves Avigdor Liberman as defense minister Read More »
Middle East