Israel

Israel-South Korea Free Trade Agreement Passes Final Hurdle

By David Isaac (JNS) South Korea ratified its free trade agreement with Israel on Tuesday. It’s the first FTA that Israel has signed with an Asian country. The agreement goes into force on Dec. 1. Israel exports about $1.5 billion annually to South Korea and imports $2 billion in goods. “South Korea is the 11th-largest

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International, Israel, Middle East

Anti-Zionism, Antisemitism

By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — A Detroit congresswoman, an Australian student editor, and a sex-abuse survivor from Vermont escape from a sanatorium and regale us with stories confirming their standing as antisemites. The trio has entangled Judaism and Israel, proving once again that from their perspective anti-Zionism is indeed antisemitism. A congresswoman we know

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Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, USA

Elizabeth R Led Her State; Who Will Lead Israel’s Government?

We returned home to heavy campaigning to elect a new government on November 1, the fifth such election in three years. From my viewpoint, it looks like it may be another stalemate, with Bibi Netanyahu, leader of the conservative Likud (the most popular party) failing to form a majority coalition. The current “caretaker” prime minister, Yair Lapid, who heads the leftist Yesh Atid (the second most popular party) has been increasing his clout by performing his interim duties fairly well.  {Steve Kramer]

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International, Israel, Steve Kramer

Math English, Hebrew Get Short Shrift in Haredi Schools

Over the years the Education Ministry has winked at partial compliance with its requirement. The schools of some Ashkenazi Haredi movements teach math, English, and Hebrew, less than described in the formal requirements, and others teach almost entirely religious matters, dedicating perhaps two hours per week to secular subjects. And all in Yiddish. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]

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Ira Sharkansky, Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education

The Shofar’s Role Through History

They were blowing the shofar, but it wasn’t Rosh Hashanah. On Jan. 5, 2021, the sound of the ram’s horn echoed in the streets of Washington, D.C., as participants in the Jericho March circled the capitol in a re-enactment of Joshua’s siege on the ancient city. For Jewish observers, it was a puzzling scene. “Are you going to do the shevarim as well?” one reporter asked a puff-cheeked protester, referring to the rhythmic blowing pattern used in Jewish tradition. He got a blank stare in return. [JNS.org]

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International, Israel, Jewish Religion, USA

Israeli Athlete Survived the Holocaust and the Munich Olympics Massacre

ESPN and ESPN+ will premiere at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept 20, The Survivor, an hour-long documentary on the murder of 11 Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympics. Reporter Jeremy Schaap interviews Shaul Ladany, a teammate of the slain athletes, who has been dubbed an “ultimate survivor.”  Along with his family, he had earlier in his life survived the Holocaust. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Au Revoir to France, Shalom to Israel

The first thing that hits you as the plane starts the descent towards the airport in Israel is the difference in the colors on the ground. If you have just left one of the countries of Europe, as we did, there is a noticeable difference in the shades of green that you perceive. The brilliant emerald green of the fields of rural France (or Germany or England or wherever), even in the summer of 2022 when temperatures rose to unprecedented heights and there were restrictions on water usage, remained in one’s visual memory, only to be erased (or at least put in the shade) by the greys, browns and dusty dark greens of the Holy Land. And, of course, the ever-present white of the stone buildings. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Lifestyles, Travel and Food

Girls School Athletic Trainer Bashes Israel, Loses Job, Claims Discrimination

Natalie Abulhawa had multiple advantages going for her after she filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against a Main Line school: her own disingenuous voice, the aid and comfort of excuse-laden Arab-American spokespersons; and kid-glove treatment in a Philadelphia Inquirer story filed by an Arab-simpatico reporter. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Israel, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Terror, the Queen, and the deadline for Parties to Run in Israel’s Election

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — They seem to be on an upswing, but Palestinian attacks against Israelis are a continuous phenomenon. For a summary of attacks since May 2016 and through July 2022, provided by the Israeli government, in English, you can look here. A graphic display appears below. The first graph shows the

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Ira Sharkansky, Israel, Middle East, Opinion