Middle East

Palestinians call for Abbas to be removed from office

Published by Al-Araby Palestinian academics, activists and political factions have called for the removal from office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, citing his cancelling of the Palestinian elections and a perceived failure to support the people Gaza during the recent Israeli attacks. “The recent intifada of Jerusalem has revealed the resounding incompetence of the

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Middle East

Good News from Israel (May 30, 2021)

Highlights of Good News from Israel for the May 30, 2011 edition include:
–Israeli wound treatment uses patients’ own blood to save their lives.
–Israeli-invented pill camera to be given to 11,000 UK patients.
–Media reports of Israel’s civil war are fake news.
–Israeli technology is out of this world.
–20 Israeli companies have partnered to make Israel’s roads safer.
–Almost every week there’s a new Israeli billion-dollar company.
–Israelis smash swimming and singing records at Euro events.
–Birthright has resumed free Israel tours for American Jews.
[Michael Ordman]

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Business & Finance, International, Jewish History, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Mideast Ceasefire May Be Holding, But Israel Is Still Under Attack

The Middle East is a part of the world drenched in sadness, pain and violence. Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, once said that in Israel the trauma is layered like an archaeological dig, where each level of destruction is piled one on top of the other, with no space between them. Since 2000 it has been one long war; a new kind of warfare called “asymmetrical war.” Asymmetrical warfare attempts to erase two basic features of war: the front and the uniform. It has no defined place and is waged by unidentified murderers. The goal is to create, in the words of the Israeli moral philosopher, Moshe Halbertal, “a war of all, against all, and everywhere.” Everyone is a potential enemy and nowhere is safe. And one of the results of this kind of warfare is more fatalities in Gaza than in Israel. [Rabbi Michael Berk]

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Middle East

Netanyahu, Blinken Paper Over Differences During Jerusalem Meeting

After their meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made what were supposed to be “soft” public statements. The politely worded remarks deliberately slid past serious policy differences, but those differences cannot and should not be hidden. Moreover, they should form the basis of conversation between the two allies in the future. [Shoshana Bryen]

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Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA

Dubai opens first Holocaust exhibition on Arabian Peninsula

Published by DPA Dubai’s Crossroads of Civilizations Museum has opened what curators say is the Arabian Peninsula’s first-ever exhibition on the Holocaust, set to become a permanent fixture of the museum, focussing on the history of regional cultures. “It is very important to us that we focus on educating people about the tragedies of the

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International, Jewish History, Middle East

A Memorial Day Weekend Tale of Two Jewish American Military Heroes

As part of our JWB Jewish Chaplains Council® National Jewish Community Observance of Memorial Day, on Thursday, we were honored to visit the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Nathan Bruckenthal, while the ship was in port in New York City. The USCGC Nathan Bruckenthal is named for the first Jewish Coast Guardsman killed in combat since the Vietnam War. Petty Officer Bruckenthal, described to us by the ship’s captain as “a nice Jewish kid from Long Island,” served his country as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was killed during a successful attempt to thwart a seaborne IED (improvised explosive device) attack on a major installation in the Arabian Gulf.  He sacrificed himself to protect others [Rabbi Irving A. Elson and Doron Krakow]

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Jewish History, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, USA

Hamas Gaza chief says only fiv percent of tunnels damaged in attacks

Published by Al-Araby The Hamas military chief in besieged Gaza declared “victory” over Israel on Wednesday and threatened to fire more rockets into Israel if they “disturb the sanctuary on Al-Aqsa Mosque.” “What has happened is but a drill for what will come if Israel violates the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The occupiers must be aware that

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Middle East

U.N. launches investigation into whether Israel, Hamas committed crimes

Published by Reuters By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) -The United Nations Human Rights Council agreed on Thursday to launch an international investigation into alleged crimes committed during the 11-day conflict between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza. The independent investigation will have a broad mandate to look into all alleged violations, not just

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Middle East

Biography of David Sealtiel Tells Struggles of Pre-State Israel

This small book, subtitled (in German) “I want to be a compatriot of the Jewish people,” describes the life of the man who rebelled against the bourgeois and orthodox way of life of his family in early twentieth-century Hamburg, and embarked on a life of almost unceasing adventures and escapades in Europe and the Middle East. Although the book is short, the content is amazingly dense and Sealtiel’s life was so eventful that this review will inevitably be long. What an astonishing life this man had! [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

Arafat’s Refusal to Accept an Independent State Led to Subsequent Warfare

In the context of the 21 st century, Arafat’s rejection of a reasonable peace plan is the root cause of the May deaths of 12 Israelis and more than 230 Gazans, tit-for-tat bombardments, destruction of apartment buildings in Gaza, attempted evictions of Palestinians in east Jerusalem and police raids on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Middle East

Federation’s Interim CEO Appeals for Help for Sha’ar Hanegev

Our staff is in regular contact with our partner region, Sha’ar HaNegev, whose residents are once again demonstrating their resilience. Your contribution to our annual campaign provides direct support for our friends in the region. We have identified three critical needs for residents of Sha’ar HaNegev where Federation support is urgently needed, and your contribution today will help to meet these needs in the weeks and months to come.  [Heidi Gantwerk]

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Middle East, San Diego County