International

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 18, 2019

Items in this column include:
*Local businessmen fly to Bahamas to help victims of Hurricane Dorian
*Councilmembers Bry and Campbell often find common ground
*San Diegans will host IDF veterans as they sort out combat memories
*Bible Players to enliven services this weekend at Tifereth Israel Synagogue

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Diary of a Benny Gantz supporter

I have to vote. If it’s the last thing I do. I’m there, I’m two minutes early. My sweat is dripping of my face as I look at the hall with twenty other Israelis my age waiting to cast their vote.  I sign a paper saying I couldn’t vote at my poll. I couldn’t, I didn’t think I’d make it there. I take care to write the information carefully. I do my best to do everything perfect. I can’t screw up again.

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Middle East, Sam Litvin

Israel’s post- election battle of egos

Likud is unable to form a right-wing government. The lack of mandates earned by the smaller right-wing and religious parties prevent that option without Liberman, and Liberman made issues with the religious parties part of his electioneering platform. So no right-religious deal is possible without the heavy Liberman climbing down from his political tree.

Gantz is unable to form a center-left coalition even with the Arab party without Liberman because Liberman has said he will not sit in any government with the current Arab politicians, most of whom he sees as anti-Israel antagonists and not part of the Israeli consensus.

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Barry Shaw, Middle East

Israel’s election results: Same as before

Binyamin Netanyahu is still not able to form a government without Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party, but the latter refuses to serve under or with the current prime minister. As the acknowledged king maker without whom there can be no majority government in Israel, Liberman  says that he wants a secular government consisting of Likud without Netanyahu; the Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz and the other generals (plus Yair Lapid); and – of course, above all – himself. Though this is by no means a perfect solution, it seems vastly preferable to the alternatives.

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Middle East

College faculties often seek to eliminate Israel

SANTA CRUZ, California (Press Release)– As students settle back onto campuses across the country, AMCHA Initiative releases a new report, The Harassment of Jewish Students on U.S. Campuses: How Eliminationist Anti-Zionism and Academic BDS Incite Campus Anti-Semitism.  The report illuminates a number of critical shifts and increases in campus anti-Semitism in the past year and includes

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

San Diego holds its first Sephardic Festival

I had to smile on Saturday night at the Sephardic Festival held at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center [JCC] this past weekend.  There was a short film, Our San Diego Sephardic Voices, about the Sephardim in San Diego.  One of the women interviewed said she was in a “mixed marriage” as her husband was Ashkenazi. Another woman spoke about the differences in food as the Sephardic eat much more rice than their eastern European counterparts.

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International, Lifestyles, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 16, 2019

Items in today’s column:

*San Diego County teens, successful in past, may apply for Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards
*Bible, Holocaust, and Israel subjects of new books by local authors
*Barbara Bry gets backing of neighborhoods group in mayoral race
*Sukkot activity planning well underway in the county

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Saudi, Kuwaiti Airlines accused of illegal bias

“While we understand that [the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)] will not confirm nor deny the existence of any ongoing potential investigation into Saudia and/or KAC, it appears that both airlines have simply been left to continue operating in (and economically benefiting from) the United States while brazenly flouting the nation’s laws. Nearly two years after our last communication with BIS, we have yet to see any progress towards thwarting this implementation of the Arab League boycott on our own soil and protecting Israelis within our country from such discrimination.”

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International, Middle East, USA

Attack on Saudi fields most likely came from Iraq

It is growing more certain that the attacks on the Khurais oil field and the Abqaiq oil processing center in Saudi Arabia were launched from southern Iraq and not from Yemen by the Houthis. This was made clear by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who said “There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen.” While Pompeo put the blame squarely on Iran, he did not say where the attacks originated. Meanwhile the Saudi Arabian Air Force launched retaliatory attacks on Houthis military sites in Yemen.

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Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen

Documentary skewers Roy Cohn, Donald Trump

His political education was heightened when Roger Stone (he of the eternal Trump scandals) took over as his mentor. And then Cohn passed on Stone’s teachings to Donald Trump. As Trump’s advisor he instructed him on manipulating the press. If the press reports it, “the public will actually quote whatever you say,” Cohn reportedly told him. When accused of racial biases, attack, Cohn said. Create phony issues; never admit you’re wrong; never apologize; rat out other people, but never put anything in writing. And to keep law enforcement off your back, apply “situational ethics.”

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Cynthia Citron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Graphic novel profiles World War II profiteer Joanovici

In the view of the Gestapo stationed in Paris, Joseph Joanovici was a “useful Jew,” because as a scrap metal dealer he could obtain and sell to the Nazis materials needed for the war effort.  At the same time, the French Resistance also thought he was useful because with the money he made as a Nazi collaborator, he was able to help the Resistance obtain weapons.  Additionally, he was able to use his contacts within the Nazi hierarchy to free from prison his employees and his Resistance associates.

Playing both sides, Joanovici had friends among the Nazis and friends among the Resistance.  He also had more than his share of enemies, who would be happy to kill him once he stopped being “useful.”

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History

Hate to rain on Greta’s parade, but I coined ‘cli-fi’

By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — There are some novels and movies now that tell human stories about what climate change is like (or might be like) in the distant future. The genre is not sci-fi, but rather cli-fi, and it’s on the rise, according to Czech journalist Jaroslav Totusek at the Lidovky newspaper

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, The World We Share, USA