IDF Christian enlistment triples in the past year (JNS.org) Christian enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has nearly tripled in the past year, going from 35 to 100, with another 500 Christians doing national service, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Father Gabriel Nadaf, […]
JNS news briefs: August 5, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Conversations began in Washington, to be continued in Jerusalem and Ramallah. It may be too early to speak of negotiations, but it is best that we do not know. More is likely to happen in secret than in public. “Discussions” appears to be an appropriate term for whatever is happening.
Neither side will get ‘justice’ in Middle East negotiations Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) –An edict by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khameni, urged all Iranians to avoid dealings with the Baha’i sect and called them “deviant and misleading.” “Such actions and statements are a warning for potential danger,” said Robert G. Sugarman, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Conference of
Conference of Presidents sounds alarm for Baha’i in Iran Read More »
Middle East
Al-Qaeda threat prompts U.S. to shut diplomatic posts, including Israel (JNS.org) The United States is temporarily shutting embassies and consulates across the Middle East and Asia on Sunday as a precautionary measure due to a terror threat related to Al-Qaeda. “The Department of State has instructed certain U.S. embassies and consulates to remain closed or
JNS news briefs: August 2, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Jerry Klinger DEADWOOD, South Dakota — The air pockets over the northern Rocky Mountains of Montana were shaking the airplane pretty hard. I was trying to write about a recent historical roadside marker project that, my little society, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation had completed in Spokane, Washington. The marker recognized Spokane’s
Deadwood, South Dakota, and the Jews Read More »
USA
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Anthony Wiener is reportedly considering withdrawing from the New York’s mayoral race. He has been negotiating with Oskar Mayer to become the chauffeur of their trademark vehicle. He’s also changing his name to Felix Frankfurter. Robert Filner, the embattled mayor of San Diego, is also contemplating a job change.
Humoring the headlines: August 1, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –The greatest success of the Arab States against Israel (there aren’t many) has been to change the terms of reference. In 1947, the Arabs unanimously rejected the UN Partition Plan for Palestine and in 1948 attacked Israel, Goliath against David. Through 1956, 1967, and 1973 Israel was understood to be
More signs of U.S. tilt to the Palestinians Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — For some time now I’ve itched in the presence of those obsessed with their privacy. The issue of personal privacy may–for some of us–not be as pressing or exciting as Israel and Palestine, but it is endemic to the gadgets that almost all of us enjoy. If you say “Not
Expectation of Internet privacy is naive Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USANetanyahu responds to Arab Knesset member who said Arabs were in Israel first (JNS.org) While the Knesset on Wednesday night voted on a bill to necessitate a national referendum among Israelis on any peace deal that would require territorial withdrawals, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who did not have any planned remarks, responded to an Arab
JNS news briefs: August 1, 2013 Read More »
InternationalIsraeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations stumble over which issues come up first (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) While outwardly looking positive and accommodating, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are in fact in disagreement over when to bring up core issues such as borders and security, with the Palestinians wanting to talk about borders first, and the Israelis wanting all
JNS news briefs: July 31, 2013 Read More »
InternationalMahmoud Abbas rules out ‘presence of a single Israeli’ in future Palestinian state (JNS.org) While Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations began in Washington, DC, on Monday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking in Cairo, ruled out the “presence of a single Israeli” in a future Palestinian state. “In a final resolution, we would not see the presence
JNS news briefs: July 30, 2013 Read More »
International
TEL AVIV (Press Release) — Yitzhak Rabin, who served as Prime Minister of Israel during two separate periods, 1974-77 and 1992-95, was a figure who towered over his generation. The first native Israeli (‘sabra’) to serve in that office, he was assassinated by an extremist right-wing Jew in November 1995, at the conclusion of
Rabin Centre in Tel Aviv depicts his life and Israel’s history Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — For several days we have heard the pluses and minuses of an apparently simple, but actually complex decision by Israeli government ministers to release some 104 prisoners for the sake of negotiations with the Palestinians. The decision is complex because it was made in principle, with important details left for
Phasing of prisoner release a test for negotiations Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastHamas and Iran hold meetings to mend ties (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Despite differences over the civil war in Syria, senior Hamas officials met with Iranian and Hezbollah officials in Beirut last month in an effort to mend ties, the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Sunday. Palestinian sources cited in the report said “Important meetings
JNS news briefs: July 29, 2013 Read More »
International