Middle East

The Street of the Prophets

To celebrate coming out of our third lockdown we recently went to Jerusalem for an urban exploration. We drove to our friends’ apartment, only the third time in a year we’ve been to Israel’s capital. Before our tour, we had lunch with Sarah Lynn (formerly of Ventnor, NJ) and her husband Ami, a Persian-born Israeli who once taught at Margate’s Hebrew Academy and later was the rabbi of Binghamton NY’s Orthodox synagogue. Among other things, Ami is a registered guide. He wanted to take us to Hanevi’im Street. We were his “guinea pigs” for leading a tour there. (Steve Kramer)

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Middle East, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food

Election math doesn’t favor Bibi, or anyone else

Israeli politics has too many parties. A coalition government is always necessary. Now, however, the polls are indicating a tie, more or less. Bibi doesn’t have it. He may not get to 61 Seats in the Knesset, even if Bennett joins with him.On the other side, there is a problem of plurality, egos, and a false spectrum of right and left wing parties.[Ira Sharkansky, PhD]

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

The Progressives’ Toolbox for Demonizing Israel

By Richard L. Cravatts BOCA RATON, Florida — In August, Florida State University was one of several universities to have adopted the now widely accepted IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, signaling that university leaders and others outside of academia have begun to see the wisdom of having guidelines by which to identify and, hopefully, eliminate hate

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Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Pompeo Lauded by Combat Anti-Semitism Movement

NEW YORK (Press Release0 –Former US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on Monday  was granted the inaugural Global Leadership Award by the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) at its first-ever Annual Summit. The virtual event, which was attended by thousands of people from tens of countries, marked two years since the establishment of CAM. Grassroots

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International, Middle East, USA

The Codes Used by Right-Wing Extremists

HAIFA, Israel (Press Release) – A new study authored by Dr. Gabriel Weimann, a professor of communication at University of Haifa and web intelligence analyst Ari Ben-Am has revealed the existence of a new coded language on social media being used by anti-Semitic groups to fly under the radar of artificial intelligence-designed algorithms. This sophisticated

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International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA

American remembers a life in Israel

There are figs in Israel, of course.  But alligators?  Perhaps in a zoo.  The title is explained in Chapter 3 of this memoir.  In Hebrew, figs are te’enim and alligators are taninim. It’s easy for an American just learning Hebrew to get the two confused.  Imagine going into a market and asking the vendor for a kilogram of alligators. {Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Middle East, USA

Gains against Antisemitism at UCSD, Tufts

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Hillel student leader Bianca Kermani succeeded in campaigning to achieve a UC San Diego resolution that condemns antisemitism and adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. Both UC San Diego’s Associated Students and Graduate Students Association unanimously passed the resolutions this week. Kermani started the campaign

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Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Editor’s Surgery to Force SDJW’s Temporary Shutdown Jan. 15

As I am scheduled to have brain surgery tomorrow morning (Friday, Jan. 15), this publication will go on temporary hiatus until such time as I am recovered sufficiently to resume my duties as editor and co-publisher of San Diego Jewish World.  Those of you who have indicated your interest in monitoring my condition may check my Facebook page, which my daughter Sandi Masori plans to update as news becomes available. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Sports & Competitions, USA

Syrian businessmen linked to purchase of devastating Beirut explosives

The purchase of the ammonium nitrate that fuelled a deadly explosion at Beirut’s port in August last year has been linked to three Syrian businessmen with alleged ties to Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. Media reports and UK government filings connected Syrian-Russian dual nationals George Haswani and brothers Imad and Mudalal Khuri with the 2013 purchase of

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Middle East

Book Review: ‘Inflitration’ by Joshua Kenaz

The death a few months ago of Israeli author, Joshua Kenaz, led to renewed interest in his work, and impelled me to read this book (published by Am Oved in 1986). For me, reading a novel in Hebrew involves embarking on an enterprise that I know in advance will tax my patience and ability to persevere, especially as in this case the book comprises some six hundred pages of closely-printed Hebrew text. However, I decided to stick the course and acquaint myself with the writing of someone who is considered to be a bulwark of contemporary Israeli literature. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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

Streaming Jewish Programs (January 17-23, 2021) 

SAN DIEGO – Following are Jewish-interest programs intended for academic and lay audiences that may be accessed via the Internet All times are Pacific Standard Time. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

U.S. Defenses Against Chinese Cyber Offenses

This has been a (literally) breathtakingly awful year in so many ways that most people are thrilled to see it gone. But do not write off 2020 entirely. With the United States in the lead, much of the world is organizing to roadblock China’s march to dominance in 5G telecommunications. That is, to get China’s spying out of our system – although we are far from done, there is a lot of 2020 to build on in 2021. [Shoshana Bryen, Gatestone Institute via San Diego Jewish World]

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International, Middle East, USA

Billionaire Republican donor Sheldon Adelson dies at 87

Washington (AFP) – Billionaire casino magnate and donor to Republican causes Sheldon Adelson has died of cancer, his company said on Tuesday, days before Donald Trump, the US president he supported, hands power to Democratic successor Joe Biden. A supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jewish causes worldwide, Adelson’s death was confirmed on

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International, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, USA

Israel steps up attacks on Iranian targets in Syria, as Tehran awaits Biden administration

Israel appears to be stepping up attacks on Iranian targets in Syria as President Donald Trump sees out his final days in office, with the latest rounds of strikes hitting suspected Hezbollah targets and Syria’s military complex. Israel has carried out at least three strikes in Syria over the past ten days, hitting southern Syria,

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Middle East