Donald H. Harrison

Lebanon’s president expresses hope for Israel border talks

Lebanon’s president said Wednesday he wants maritime border talks with Israel to succeed and that disagreements during the last round of negotiations can be resolved based on international law.President Michel Aoun spoke during a meeting with John Desrocher, the US mediator for the negotiations, who was in Beirut for discussions with Lebanese leaders.The fourth round

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Middle East

The Great Jewish Calendar Controversy

According to the Book of the Calendar Controversy, found in the Cairo Genizah in the early twentieth century, Aaron Ben Meir, a highly esteemed scholar and Head of the Jewish community living in Muslim-occupied Israel, challenged, in A.M. 4682 (921 CE), Babylonian Jewry’s power to construct the Jewish calendar by declaring on the Mount of Olives that the months of Heshvan and Kislev would be defective (both having 29 days), and as a result, Passover 4682 will fall on Sunday, contradicting the pronouncement of the Babylonian Sanhedrin whose calendar said the months of Heshvan and Kislev will be full (both having 30 days) and Passover falling on Tuesday, two days later. [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]

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Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish History, Jewish Religion

Biden Could End the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Recently I had an opportunity to brief a group of European diplomats and journalists on a variety of conflicts, with a focus on the Middle East. During the Q&A I was asked which of the region’s conflicts Biden should tackle first. Without much hesitation I said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not only because it is over seven decades old, but because it is an increasingly intractable, explosive, and destabilizing situation, which reverberates throughout the Mideast, and several regional powers are exploiting it to serve their own national interests, which sadly contributes to its endurance. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]

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Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East, USA

Editorial: Madam secretary: In praise of Biden’s choice of Janet Yellen

It makes headlines but is ultimately of no moment that Janet Yellen will, when confirmed, become the nation’s first female secretary of the treasury, just as she was the first female chair of the Federal Reserve. Women filling government’s top jobs is inching ever closer to becoming simply the norm.What matters about Yellen — born

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USA

US probes ‘bribery’ scheme to seek White House pardon

Washington (AFP) – The US Justice Department is investigating an alleged bribery scheme involving campaign donations to secure a presidential pardon, a court filing showed Tuesday.The document, which discusses the legality of searching communications and electronic devices of individuals, including attorneys, is highly redacted, with all identifying information blacked out.But it refers to a “secret

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USA

Dr. Scott Atlas, Controversial Trump COVID-19 Adviser, Resigns From White House Job

With Monday marking only 51-days until President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office, Dr. Scott Atlas, a controversial coronavirus task force member, announced his formal resignation as special adviser to the president.Atlas, a former Fox News contributor with no expertise in infectious disease, joined the Trump administration as a Special Government Employee (SGE) in

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USA

Iran releases Jewish prisoner imprisoned for visiting Israeli family

The Islamic Republic of Iran has freed imprisoned Iranian Jew Mashallah Pesar Kohan, who was detained in 2017 for visiting his family members in Israel.George Haroonian, a prominent Iranian Jewish American, announced Sunday on social media that “Mashallah Pesar Kohan, a Jewish citizen, was released from prison in greater Tehran.”Karmel Melamed, an Iranian-American journalist and

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Middle East

Lawyers give emotional plea for victim of German synagogue attack

Lawyers representing the parents of one of the two people gunned down by a right-wing extremist in the German city of Halle last year made emotional pleas in court on Tuesday, as the trial enters its final stretch.”You robbed a mother of her child in the most disgusting and perverse way,” one attorney, representing the

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International

Israel’s Gantz says will back bill to dissolve parliament

Israel’s Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz said on Tuesday his party will vote for an opposition bill to dissolve parliament, a move that could force a fourth election in under two years.Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party is currently the key partner in a precarious coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud.That coalition,

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Middle East

Hamas Has Smuggled Cruise Missiles Aimed at Israel

A war of words broke out in Israel’s Knesset (Parliament) between Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the Yisrael Beiteinu (“Israel Our Home”) party and MK Member Shlomo Karai, from the leading Likud (“Unity”) party. At issue was the alleged leak of security information on new weapons in the hands of Hamas, the militant Islamic Palestinian nationalist movement that has run the Gaza strip since 2007. Lieberman himself is a former Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Lieberman claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister (and deputy prime minister) Benny Gantz were covering up information about precision cruise missiles and cluster bombs being produced by Hamas. [Stephen D. Bryen]

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Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen

Jacob Showed Us the Value of Acting Now

What else can possibly be found in a parasha? Jacob meets his brother, Esau. Jacob wrestles with an angel. We read about the rape of Jacob’s daughter, Dina. Her brothers massacre the men of Shechem. Rivka passes away. Jacob is given a new name, “Yisroel.” Rachel dies after giving birth to Benjamin. Isaac dies. And on it goes. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, San Diego County

Anarchism and the Avant-Garde

The Museum of Modern Art is currently presenting Félix Fénéon: The Anarchist and the Avant-Garde – From Signac to Matisse and Beyond, examining the immense influence of this art critic, editor, publisher, collector and anarchist. Fénéon (1861-1944) saw the critic as a channel between the artist and the public – a role which had particular significance because art could further the cause of social justice and harmony. As Paul Signac would proclaim: “Justice in sociology, harmony in art: same thing.” [Sam Ben-Meir]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir