72% of Israelis want public, not MKs, to elect president (JNS.org) With Israel’s upcoming presidential election poised to have the highest-ever number of candidates, a survey conducted for Israel Hayom by the New Wave Research Institute found that 72 percent of Jewish Israelis favor holding a direct public vote for president over the current election […]
JNS news briefs: February 14, 2014 Read More »
InternationalBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Thanks to Martin Schulz, president of the European parliament, and Naftali Bennett, Israeli cabinet minister and leader of the Habaayit Hayehudi party, we’ve all become experts on the amount of water Arab residents of the West Bank get in comparison to what their neighbors, the settlers, use. You don’t need any
Debating Israel’s residential water allocations Read More »
Middle East
NEW YORK (Press Release)–The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Thursday, Feb. 13, applauded Michael Sam, a defensive lineman from the University of Missouri and likely top NFL draft pick, who is the first NCAA Division I college football player to come out as a gay man. ADL encouraged NFL teams to judge all players by their
ADL: Judge Sam on ability, not sexual orientation Read More »
USA
MADRID (Press Release) — Sixty leaders of member organizations of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, on an historic first official visit to Spain by the American umbrella organization, met on Thursday, Feb. 13, with King Juan Carlos I at Zarzuela Palace. The King spoke about the Jewish cultural heritage and the
Spain’s King Juan Carlos meets U.S. Jewish leaders Read More »
InternationalBy Michael Ordman NETANYA, Israel –Israelis know that the Jewish State cannot afford to lose a single war or conflict. In fact prevention of any loss of innocent life is paramount to Israelis. And a determined “refusal to give up” is almost a national character trait that can be seen in many other aspects of
Roundup of good news from Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Aryeh Savir JERUSALEM (TNA)–The Palestinian Authority announced last weekthat it will be giving an additional $46 million a year to released prisoners, including hundreds of murderers of civilians, this according to a report by the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). This new funding is an addition to the tens of millions the PA already gives in
Op-Ed: P.A. continues to pay, glorify terrorists Read More »
Middle EastErdogan’s demand to lift Gaza blockade ‘not under consideration’ by Israel (JNS.org) Israel clarified on Wednesday that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s demand to lift the sea blockade on the Gaza Strip in exchange for normalizing relations between the countries “is not under consideration,” Israel Hayom reported. Earlier this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
JNS news briefs: February 13, 2014 Read More »
International
JERUSALEM (TNA) – Jewish communities from across the globe will take part in a three-day online brainstorming marathon February 16-18. The event will open the floor to all Jews to help formulate strategies for strengthening both Jewish identity and Israel-Diaspora relations while ensuring the Jewish world continues to flourish well into the future. The event
Israel, World Jewry plan brainstorming marathon Read More »
International
COPENHAGEN (WJC) –Denmark’s Agriculture and Food Minister Dan Jørgensen has signed a regulation which effectively bans religious slaughter in the country. “Animal rights come before religion,” Jørgensen told Denmark’s TV2 television news. The regulation requires all animal slaughter to be carried out with prior stunning of the animal, which is against shechita (Jewish religious slaughter).
Denmark bans kosher slaughter Read More »
InternationalBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–They may hear, but they don’t listen. Almost any TV panel of politicians will illustrate it. Before a panelist has an opportunity to say what s/he has been asked to talk about, there’ll be frequent interruptions from other panelists. Sometimes, even a moderator or an interviewer, having asked the question, interrupts
Incivility in the Knesset is inexcusable Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There is a long tradition, no less prominent in Judaism than in other cultures, of voluntary service and donations collected for the benefit of the needy or some other public purpose. There is also a long list of eleemosynary organizations that have gone bad, with leaders using the resources collected for their
Caution urged for contributors to Israeli charities Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
LOS ANGELES (Press Release)—Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger (MAZON) has issued this statement regarding the Agricultural Act of 2014: “It is a relief that the extremely long and painful negotiations over our nation’s agricultural and nutrition safety net programs are finally behind us. But our relief is tempered
Mazon criticizes bill’s cuts to nutritional assistance Read More »
USAWASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)– Americans for Peace Now (APN) thanks the 104 members of the House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats, who on Wednesday, Feb. 12, sent a letter to President Obama supporting the current diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. APN strongly supported the letter and urged House members to sign
APN lauds 104 House letter-signers on Iran sanctions Read More »
InternationalNEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday, Feb. 12, expressed alarm at a reported anti-Semitic attack against two Jewish businessmen in a northwestern Turkish city, and called on Turkish authorities to fully investigate the incident. According to reports, the two Jewish individuals were eating at a restaurant on February 6 in the
Incident in Babaeski, Turkey, brings ADL protest Read More »
International