By Jarrod Bernstein WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–Starting tonight, the Jewish community in the United States, Israel, and throughout the world will come together to celebrate the holiday of Passover. President and Mrs. Obama will join them, continuing their tradition of hosting a small Seder at the White House. By now, the story of how that […]
President Obama extends Passover greetings Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — Passover is the best gift we ever gave to the world; nobody who was ever a human being could turn down its message of freedom, its transformation of the taste of tears into the wine of hope, its view of the leaves of parsley as the springtime of
Passover is also a modern American story Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A recent poll about American Jews’ political inclinations raises once again the issue of how the two largest Jewish communities are developing, each in its own way. Figures are not entirely reliable, especially outside of Israel, but one reasonable compilation shows that the American and Israeli communities comprise about two
Many differences emerge between Israeli and American Jews Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The fact that the peace process that was to lead to a two-state solution is going nowhere isn’t news, but the fact that Yossi Beilin – the architect of the 1993 Oslo Accord that gave birth to the idea and charted a path for its realization – has now called for
Beilin calls for dismantling the Palestine Authority Read More »
Middle EastBy Matthew RJ Brodsky WASHINGTON, D.C. — While Western and Arab countries struggle to find a way to assist the Syrian people, Moscow is continuing to do all it can to save the Assad regime of Syria. Speaking on a trip to Azerbaijan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Syrian opposition wouldn’t be able
Russia has financial reasons for saving Syrian regime Read More »
InternationalBy Samara Greenberg WASHINGTON, D.C. –A delegation from the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) made its first official visit to the United States this week, where it has spent time in New York and Washington, DC talking to think tank experts and White House officials about the Brotherhood’s growing role in Cairo.
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood launches a PR offensive Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Within a very short time after hearing that the eviction of the settlers at Machpelah House had been postponed, they were, in fact, evicted. In a moment of premature enthusiasm I thought: “Three cheers for the Prime Minister.” But those cheers may have been premature. For the Prime Minister may not
Did Netanyahu make a backroom deal with settlers? Read More »
Middle EastBy Steven L. Pomerantz WASHINGTON, D.C. — Within a few weeks of becoming Chief of Counter Terrorism at the FBI, I was presented with the draft of a speech I was to deliver before a national meeting of a major Jewish Organization in Florida. My attention was drawn to a sentence that asserted, in essence,
Iran may have terror cells in the U.S. Read More »
USABy Matthew RJ Brodsky WASHINGTON–Asma Assad was heralded as the great white hope for reform in Syria. But that narrative was always false, and a lot of starry-eyed politicians, experts and reporters should have known better. From “A Rose in the Desert” to the target of European Union sanctions, what a difference a year has
Asma Assad: no desert rose Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Among the knottiest of problems Israelis have to deal with are the aspirations of Jews to move into areas thickly settled by hostile Arabs. The issue is not the simple one of most settlements in the West Bank or the established post-1967 neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Think what you will about
The fight over Machpelah and others to come Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) — The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has called upon the U.S. State Department to clarify that it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in accordance with U.S. law, following a press briefing by departmental spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, who refused to confirm the fact. In her March 28 press briefing, Nuland, when
ZOA calls for U.S. acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Among the things I remember from my history lessons in Fall River is that the British forces employed Hessian mercenaries against the American patriots. Both “mercenary” and “Hessian” had a nasty tone in the textbooks and class discussions. I wonder if those lessons remain in place, and if they are coupled
A cautionary note about government subcontractors Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Rep. Michele Bachmann WASHINGTON, D.C. — As millions around the world begin to celebrate the feast of Passover at sundown on Friday, April 6, it is important to remember why this celebration exemplifies God’s mercy on His people. When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of their great suffering at
Former presidential candidate tells of concern for Israel Read More »
Middle East
By Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM–Surprised? Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reveals in their latest data that 88 percent of Israelis will take part in a Seder and 47 percent eat only kosher for Passover items during the holiday. Meantime, as Pesach approaches, latest figures from the National Insurance Institute’s 2011 poverty report indicate there are
20 ways to know Pesach is arriving in Jerusalem Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East