Middle East

SWU presses for Jewish history in Ethnic Studies Curriculum

The stories of Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews who came to the U.S. from the Middle East should be included in the Asian-American section of California’s proposed Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum that goes before the State Board of Education on Thursday, March 18, panelists sponsored by the pro-Israel organization, StandWithUs, said Wednesday. (Donald H. Harrison)

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

The Pentagon Must Stop Using Off-the-Shelf Computers

Staying with commercial off-the-shelf systems (COTS) and the security solutions we have today is a guaranteed loser. No one can deny the appalling security record. Moreover, the public has a right to be outraged that DOD has had huge parts of its programs compromised by hacks. Take for example the F-35 and ask yourself why China has two stealth fighters (the Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang FC-31)? [Stephen D. Bryen]

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International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

Three major controversies ahead of Israel’s election

What’s worse?

1) The decision of the Israeli Supreme Court, authorizing the conversions to Judaism by Conservative and Reform Rabbis in Israel? 2) The onset of investigations against Israel for war crimes by the International Criminal Court? 3) The opening of Israeli schools in all grades, as well as shopping centers, restaurants, coffee houses, bars, theaters, and halls for weddings and Bar Mitvot, as well as the opening of Israel’s borders to 4,000 per day of returning Israelis and the weakening of what had been screening by a government committee of applicants and allowing the return of some 600 per day? [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]

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International, Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East

Army Resistance to ‘Iron Dome’ Imperils Overseas Bases

The other day and yet again a US forward operating base (shared with the Iraqi Air Force) at Ain al-Asad was hit by rockets.  There was one death (allegedly from a heart attack during the attack) and six injured (5 contractors and 1 US service member).  There was no prior warning and, it appears, the air defenses at the base failed to detect the threat or respond to the incoming missiles. How do we know this?  There is drone video of part of the attack that shows 6 incoming rockets.  There are no interceptor rockets or tracer rounds from the ground trying to knock down the rockets.  Hence, there was no air defense response. The big question is this:  Why didn’t the Pentagon ask Israel to supply Iron Dome systems that could have defeated any rocket, drone, artillery, mortar or cruise missile attack? (Stephen D. Bryen)

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Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

Good News from Israel (March 7, 2021)

NETANYA, Israel — In the March 7, 2021 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

90% of Israel’s high-risk citizens are now protected against Covid-19.
The first woman-led billion-dollar Israeli company.
The UAE’s first Ambassador to Israel arrived in the Jewish State.
An Israeli kit transforms tractors into self-driving vehicles.
Israel is one of the world’s leaders in telecommuting.
An Israeli chess competition attracted players from many Muslim countries including Iran.
Israeli superheroes brought joy to sick children on the Jewish festival of Purim [Michael Ordman]

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International, Jewish Religion, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Europeans spineless about confronting Iran

A Christian, a Muslim, and a Jew enter a bar. The bartender asks, “Is this a joke?” That’s how I feel after reading a recent Reuters article (3/4/21) entitled, “West scraps plan for IAEA rebuke of Iran.” Evidently Britain, France and Germany scrapped their plan, backed by the US, criticizing Iran for its many, serious actions regarding its nuclear activity. This must mean that the three European countries believe that they will be more successful in reining in Iran by being nice and continuing negotiations than by showing diplomatic strength. [Steve Kramer]

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International, Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA

Public performances again allowed in Israel

At last! After a year of living in a cultural desert, the ban on public performances in Israel has finally been lifted. And last night when we were able at last to attend a real live concert. The requirements were clear: anyone who had bought tickets had to provide proof of having been vaccinated twice, as well as a certificate of identity. The seating arrangements were equally stringent, with an empty seat between anyone not from the same household (very handy as a place to put one’s coat). [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

U.S. Rejoining U.N. Human Rights Council is Insanity

t has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. This is especially true concerning the wishful thinking in the moral divide of international affairs. One month into his administration, President Joe Biden’s foreign policy team is about to embark on a measure of what is pure political insanity by rejoining the United Nations Human Rights Council—a decision that contradicts everything that the United States is supposed to stand for. [Nitsana Darshan-Leibner]

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International, Middle East, USA

Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis: Stigma on the World’s Conscience

Tragically, the entire international community has failed miserably to muster the moral courage to end the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Syria’s civil war. Is it any wonder that such atrocities are happening time and again? The ten-year old civil war in Syria has gone far beyond tragic mass devastation. The body and soul of two Syrian generations have been crushed. Their hopes and dreams have been shattered. Their dignity and pride were robbed. Millions of refugees and internally displaced persons were left in utter despair, hoping to wake up each morning from a nightmare only to realize that a nightmarish life is their lot. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]

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Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East

U.S. unable to protect Ain al-Asad airbase from rockets

At least 10 Katyusha-type rockets slammed into the Ain al-Asad airbase located in Anbar province in Western Iraq on the morning of March 3. Since the earlier attack in January 2020 by heavier Qiam-2 advanced tactical ballistic missiles launched from Iran, the airbase has been reinforced with air defenses that proved unable to stop the rocket attack. Can the US protect its personnel in Iraq or elsewhere from rocket attacks? [Stephen D. Bryen]

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Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

J-Street and Palestinian Antisemitism

Dylan Williams of J Street, in a recent op-ed, called on the Biden administration to “rebuild the U.S. relationship with moderate Palestinian leaders.” Since presumably J Street would not claim that the leaders of the genocidal Hamas gang are “moderate,” then the “moderate Palestinian leaders” Williams and J Street have in mind must be Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas and those around him. [Moshe Phillips]

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Middle East, USA

Jerusalem 1000 Years Ago a Treasure Trove of Artifacts

Jerusalem 1000 – 1400; Every People Under Heaven is a beautifully-produced combination of a coffee-table book and exhibition catalogue produced in conjunction with the exhibition of that title held in New York in 2016. For the exhibition hundreds of precious, beautiful and fascinating artifacts produced in and concerning Jerusalem in the Middle Ages were amassed from a wide range of sources all over the world. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts