SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–With Congress poised to take pivotal votes this weekend on Defense funding bills, City Councilmember Marti Emerald is urging repeal of the military’s policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, which bans openly gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the Armed Forces. This policy has resulted in the discharge of hundreds of […]
WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)–Following is a speech that Daniel Benjamin, coordinator of the counter-terrorism office in the U.S. State Department, gave on Friday to members of the Washington Institute: Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to be back at the Washington Institute and see so many familiar faces in the room. Thanks to Matt
Counter-terrorism specialist says greater efforts needed in host countries Read More »
Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The Economist has joined a small crowd of commentators who have discovered a growing split between American Jews and Israel. It puts at least part of the blame on “declining bonds between an increasingly right-wing religious Israel and liberal American Jews.” No doubt that is one of the tensions between the two
Jews have had differences with each other throughout the centuries Read More »
Middle East, USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C.–Laura Rozen of Politico named names: “Rahm Emanuel has met twice with a group of rabbis, the NSC’s Dennis Ross has gone up to the Hill to talk to House Democrats and Senate Dems in recent weeks, the NSC’s Dan Shapiro and Ross both spoke at the ADL conference last week, Hillary
The Obama administration's campaign to win back the Jews Read More »
Middle East
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—This coming September 11, the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, General Dynamics NASSCO plans to christen and launch the USS Washington Chambers, named for the Navy officer who arranged a century ago for the first airplane flight from the deck of a Navy ship. Having
General Dynamics NASSCO guided by the tides of September 11th Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Israelis’ preoccupation with security is focusing on Route 443. It is one of two four lane, high speed, divided highways that link Jerusalem with the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. It is the favored route for the northern neighborhoods of Jerusalem, and the best way to travel to the expanding complex of Modiin-Reut-Maccabeen-Modiin
Israel Route 443: a challenge for the peace process Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
By Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM–It’s 5:00 a.m on Shavuot morning and I’m having trouble finding an empty seat at any shul in Jerusalem’s Old City. Every synagogue is already packed as I make the mistake of lingering a few minutes too long at the Kotel amongst the tens of thousands who have made
Jerusalemites crowd the Old City for Shavuot Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, Travel and Food
By Ulla Hadar KIBBUTZ RUHAMA, Israel — When my children were younger, one of their highlights in the season of Shavuot was to climb into a combine and observe from that vantage point what it’s like to harvest the fields. For some years we have not done this, as they have grown a
A Shavuot celebration in the wheat fields of Kibbutz Ruhama Read More »
Middle East
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–That May is Jewish Heritage Month is evidenced by the two plays, both bearing Jewish content, now running in repertory at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park: William Gibson’s Golda’s Balcony is on the main stage and Matthew Lopez’s Whipping Man is in the theatre in the round or
Old Globe’s ‘The Whipping Man’ grips and troubles Read More »
Carol Davis, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
By Yonatan Peres, DVM KFAR HAYAROK, Israel–The first time I met Edith and Irving Taylor was in 1998. I was appointed the director of the Teaching Hospital of the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The teaching hospital facility, founded in 1988, thanks to the very generous contribution of the Koret
Edith Taylor understood lasting bonds between humans and animals Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The glass of the political activist is never full. If it seems full, it is only a momentary surge of partial victory. The tea cups of the American extreme right might appear full after their man’s victory in Kentucky, but they are a long way from achieving their dreams. Barack Obama is
Whatever the stage, whatever the cause, absolute outcomes in politics are rare Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday announced that the five permanent members of the United Nation’s Security Council, plus Germany, have reached an agreement to impose “strong” new sanctions against Iran. David A. Harris, President of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), issued the following statement praising Secretary Clinton’s announcement: “The National Jewish
NJDC lauds agreement among Security Council's five permanent members to sanction Iran Read More »
Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement Tuesday, May 18, in response to the introduction of House Resolution 1359: “J Street applauds the introduction of House Resolution 1359, calling for the immediate release of captured Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit. Introduced by the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on
J Street applauds congressional resolution calling for immediate release of Gilad Shalit Read More »
Middle East, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Turkey and Brazil announced they have “brokered” a “deal” to bring some percentage of Iranian LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) to Turkey. The “deal” is a fraud-without knowing how much uranium Iran has, you cannot know how much it “lent” to Turkey and how much remains in its weapons program. And
Turkey bidding for greater influence in Middle East Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA