By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Even those who don’t take much interest in Jewish thought probably know of the late Emil Fackenheim’s 11th (or 614th) commandment that all Jews must observe: to survive and not give Hitler a posthumous history. The State of Israel was for him the best, perhaps the only, guarantor of Jewish survival. […]
Jews must cry with one eye, laugh with the other Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Kenneth Bandler NEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Sunday, Jan. 10, condemned the desecration of the Catholic cemetery in Beit Jamal (near Beit Shemesh), Israel. In another action, the AJC welcomed the rejection by the American Historical Association of an anti-Israel resolution. Concerning the desecration of the cemetery, in which dozens of
AJC condemns cemetery vandalism; hails AHA vote Read More »
Middle East, USA
By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — As the motto of this website intones, “there’s a Jewish story everywhere,” and I found a good one in Morocco. It’s about a Moroccan Jew named Raphael Elmaleh and a Scottish expat living in Morocco named George Ricketts. They two men teamed up to write a guide
How a Jewish guide book of Morocco came to be Read More »
International, Middle East, Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It’s hard to find a more emotional issue roiling our American friends than guns and what’s associated with them. Who can have one or lots of them, what the Constitution guarantees, how much damage they produce, and what benefits they offer. A close cousin to gun control are issues of
Gun control in Israel and the U.S. Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
By Rabbi Jeffrey Lipschultz ROCK ISLAND, Illinois — One of the tough rituals I have done for the last twelve years is to go to Phoenix to visit my brother’s grave every January 3rd, the day he died in his tragic accident. This year, right before heading to the airport on January 3rd, I stopped by again
Speaking for your brother Read More »
Jewish Religion, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The “Meet the Press” program on Israel’s TV Channel Two on Saturday evening reported on a poll it had commissioned to rate members of the government. I’m sure that those who didn’t do well will tell us that we must not rely on polls. Perhaps they’re right. Nevertheless, we may still
Most popular Israeli politician? Ya’akov Litzman Read More »
Middle EastBy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — Let’s get over the fact that there’s a double standard applied to Jews and especially to Israelis. It’s a given, so Israel’s government must come to terms with it and do what Israel needs to do for its security, regardless of the low esteem and condemnations that will follow whenever
Double standard should not deter Israel Read More »
Middle East, Steve KramerBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Jews like to think that we’re smarter than other people. And those of Israel see themselves as shrewder than cousins who have lived for generations in western countries. However, we don’t always get it right, all at once, or at our first try. We’re currently wondering about our new chief
A new Israeli police chief has a rough start Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — So now ‘radical Islamist’ terror has spread to Paris, the center of culture, civilization and enlightenment. Last January Paris was subjected to a similar heinous attack, but that was confined to targets that could be – and were – dismissed or defined as ‘appropriate,’ i.e., the offices of a satirical magazine
The Paris massacre as seen from Israel Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Starting in 1970, West Germany was terrorized by a group named after two of its founders, the Bader Meinhof Gang. It and its offshoots did untold harm with many killings of citizens. It was dissolved only in 1998. Israel is getting its own Bader Meinhof Gang: young ostensibly pious
Jewish terrorists endanger Israel Read More »
Middle EastThousands attend funeral of Mexican-born IDF soldier killed in accident (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Some 2,000 people on Thursday attended the funeral of Mexican-born Israel Defense Forces Capt. Yishai Rosales—killed days earlier in a training exercise at the Tze’elim Base in southern Israel—at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. During the exercise, a
Middle East Roundup ~ January 8, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastPrime Minister’s Office: Martin Indyk fabricated conversation with Netanyahu (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Former U.S. Middle East envoy Martin Indyk lied twice about a supposed conversation he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the funeral of assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, a Prime Minister’s Office official said Wednesday. The spat involving
Middle East Roundup: January 7, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastLet There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World by Seth M. Siegel, St. Martin’s Press, New York; ISBN 978-1-250-07395-2 ©2015, $27.99, p. 252, plus eight color photos, appendices and; an index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. “Water, water, everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” WINCHESTER,
Book tells how Israel solved its water crisis Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationWASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) – U.S. Representatives Nita Lowey (NY-17), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), Eliot Engel (NY-16), Albio Sires (NJ-8), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Susan Davis (CA-53), and Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) on Wednesday, Jan. 6, sent a letter to President Barack Obama calling for immediate punitive sanctions in response to Iran’s recent violation of international law
House members seek new Iran sanctions Read More »
Middle East, USA