By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Silence is the policy of Israeli authorities with respect to the rebellion in Syria. Figuring out what is happening, and what is likely to happen is like deciphering reports and comments about Iran. Currently there seems to be a standoff, bloody in the extreme, between the regime and its opponents. […]
Israeli authorities officially mum on Syria Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastPARIS (Press Release)–StandWithUs France condemns High Representative of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, for her statement regarding the brutal, anti-Semitic murders of four people at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France on Monday. As France reels in horror at this attack, together with the global Jewish community and all people of conscience, High Representative
‘Apologize or resign!’ StandWithUs urges EU ‘diplomat’ Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Earlier this week, Israeli media headlined that “’Mossad, CIA agree Iran has yet to decide to build nuclear weapon.” The story went on to say that “New York Times report quotes senior American officials who believe there is little disagreement between Israeli and U.S. intelligence over Iran’s nuclear program, despite
Confused about Iran’s nuclear program? Everybody else is too Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Yaakov Lappin ASHDOD, Israel — I had just parked my car in the Southern Israeli city of Ashdod, near where a Palestinian rocket had earlier smashed into a main street, when the air raid siren went off again. No matter how many times one has heard it, when the siren goes off
Living through a Red Alert in Ashdod Read More »
Middle East
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — “What is being done in Homs [Syria] . . . is simply appalling and shouldn’t be allowed to stand in our world,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron in Washington. The British, he said, are cataloguing “these crimes,” and Asad should “always remember that international law has got a long reach
If Syria, Egypt have zero to fear from U.S, why should Iran? Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy David Brin == From the Transparency Front == Total Information Awareness? NSA (the National Security Agency) is building a mammoth electronic spy center in Utah. The $2 billion Utah Data Center, to be completed by Sept. 2013, will be five times
Who’s watching those who watch us? Read More »
USANEW YORK (Press Release)–The Jewish Federations of North America is shocked and outraged at Monday’s tragic terror attack on a Jewish school in southern France that has left at least four dead, including three children. Early news indicates that a terrorist on a motorcycle carried out a fatal shooting outside Ozar Hatorah, a Jewish school
Jewish groups react in pain to French school murders Read More »
International, Yeruchem Eilfort-RabbiBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The United States is the 800 pound gorilla in our living room. And just about everyone else’s living room. Not only is an 800 gorilla large and powerful enough to be unremovable, but it is also clumsy and may do more by way of damage than it adds to the
American voters’ complaints laughable overseas Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USAWASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release) — The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) on Friday released an analysis of support for Israel broken down by political affiliation that reveals a clear “Israel Gap” between the parties. Republican support for Israel is 25 points higher than Democratic support, and according to Gallup, only a bare majority, 53% of Democrats, express
RJC says Republicans more favorable than Democrats to Israel Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It should be no surprise that the excitment of the American presidential campaign deals with domestic issues. The American voter is not responsible for his or her country being the most prominent in the world, with its hands almost everywhere. They are concerned that jobs, housing, and other needs are more
World depends on U.S.; yet elections decided on domestic issues Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel SAN DIEGO — At our downtown TBS Jewish business ethics class, we discussed an interesting subject dealing with the problem of suspicion. The beginning of Parshat Pikudei (Vyakhale-Pikudei), Moses presents a complete inventory of all the items that he and the priests collected for the Tabernacle (Exod. 38:21) Moses gives
Mishnah could teach TSA a lesson about dignity Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was to address a mixed U.S.-Afghan audience at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan only weeks after six American solders were killed by Afghan soldiers, and days after an American soldier allegedly killed 16 Afghan civilians. That circumstance alone would ensure a tense atmosphere, but the decision
Panetta disrespected Marines fighting in Afghanistan Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Saul Singer is the author, together with his brother-in-law Dan Senor, of the widely acclaimed, Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. I’m pretty sure that he hasn’t read of my book, Beyond Survival or even heard of it. Nevertheless, he almost quotes from it. Hence these reflections.
Another kind of Holocaust denial: denying that it’s over Read More »
Middle EastBy Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — San Diego is becoming a multicultural city more and more. The Asian and Hispanic populations are growing at a faster rate than the white. When I gave the commencement speech at the University of California, San Diego a few years ago, I was impressed with the large percentage
What are America’s cultural biases? Read More »
Natasha Josefowitz, USA