Middle East

From Ingathering Exiles to Escaping Clans

Israel, the land that was meant to host the ingathering of the exiles and reunite the Jewish people, is tearing at the seams. There has never been real unity in Israeli society, but we always knew how to rise above our partisan interests in the moment of truth. We cannot do this anymore; hatred and division have taken over. It seems as though we are going to split into myriad groups and clans, and many will seek asylum elsewhere, and I am not sure they will be welcome anywhere. [Michael Laitman, PhD]

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Jewish History, Lifestyles, Middle East

Guess who might come to your next simcha

Assume you have an upcoming bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, or another family simcha coming up, and you would like to invite some close relatives living in another country to attend. Right now it is a costly hassle for your relatives to apply for a temporary visa to visit the United States, with the possibility that they will be rejected causing you and them embarrassment, even humiliation. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Thousands rally against France’s Macron in Jerusalem

Thousands of Palestinians rallied in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday against French President Emmanuel Macron’s defence of the right to publish cartoons seen as offensive to Islam.Demonstrators chanted “There is no god but God, Macron is the enemy of God” and “Mohammed, your nation will not give in”, following Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque

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International, Middle East

Shopping in Coronavirus times

I wouldn’t say I’m a shopaholic, but I was brought up at a time and place where shopping was a regular feature of life. As a child in London I would be sent round the corner to the grocery store in Willesden Lane (which was no lane at all) to buy the loaf of rye bread my mother loved. On the way home I would gnaw the crust, and once I had handed the loaf over my mother would cut off the crust, spread it with butter and give it to me to eat like a civilized person, which made it rather less attractive. But I ate it anyway. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Business & Finance, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Lifestyles, Middle East

Jewish connections to Halloween?

With the coming of Halloween, San Diego Jewish World introduces a new feature — a three-part video reporting series by my daughter, Sandi Masori, who has been after me for years to utilize originally produced video.  “Fine,” said I, “you do it!”  And so she did. In this series, which can be viewed above and will continue tomorrow, and Halloween night, Sandi interviews Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom Synagogue in San Diego about some of the parallels between Halloween and Jewish mythology.  They discuss the stories of golems — human-like creatures created by great rabbis  — intended to protect their communities, and how golem stories were background to Mary Shelley’s famous tale about Frankenstein’s monster. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Sandi Masori, USA

In regional game-changer, US seeks to sell F-35 jets to UAE

Washington (AFP) – The United States has agreed to sell more than $10 billion of top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates to reward its recognition of Israel, potentially reshaping power dynamics in the turbulent region, Congress was informed Thursday.In an informal but required notification to Congress, President Donald Trump’s administration said it

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Middle East, USA

U.S. Passports Can List ‘Jerusalem, Israel’ as Birthplace

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday that henceforth U.S. passports issued to American citizens born in Jerusalem will say  at their choice “Jerusalem, Israel,” rather than simply “Jerusalem,” as has been the case up to now. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Normalization alone not a path for Mideast peace

Regardless of how many more Arab countries normalize relations with their country, the conflict with the Palestinians will not disappear and it must be addressed if Israel wants to ensure long-term stability and security. The Palestinians, on the other hand, must accept the emerging reality. Instead of opposing the normalization of Israeli-Arab relations, which in any case they cannot stop, they should be prepared to enter into such a process of reconciliation with Israel that would eventually lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]

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Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East

Haters on the right and left this political season

I can’t blame either congresswoman for fearing for their lives. “Posting a photo with an assault rifle next to the faces of three women of color is…incitement,” tweets U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. “There are already death threats in response to this post.” Adds her pal Rep. Rashida Tlaib: “It’s dangerous in a time of rising political violence openly encouraged by this fascist president that a soon to be member of Congress thinks a post threatening women’s lives is acceptable.” [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Middle East, USA

Labour party suspends Corbyn over reaction to anti-Semitism report

London (dpa) – Britain’s opposition Labour party suspended former leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday, after he rejected parts of a report into anti-Semitism in the party during his time in office, saying the issue was “dramatically overstated.”The report by the independent Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) uncovered “serious failings” regarding investigations of anti-Semitism in

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International, Jewish History, Middle East

First delegation of Israeli high-tech companies visits UAE to foster ties: reports

A delegation of leading Israeli high-tech companies are in the United Arab Emirates to establish a presence in the Gulf state, just weeks after the two countries formalised ties, according to Jewish Press.Representatives from more than a dozen tech companies are involved in the trip, including Secret Double Octopus, an Israeli software company specialising in

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Business & Finance, Middle East

Campa-Najjar tells stands on Mideast Peace, BDS

Congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar, reacting to an unfavorable story carried about him by the Breitbard news organization, reiterated on Wednesday his support for a peaceful two-state solution for the Israelis and Palestinians, and his opposition to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Erekat: a metaphor for the Palestinian Authority

Saeb Erekat has been the rumbustious voice of the Palestinian Authority for decades. While his people suffer, lingering in poverty under the misrule of the PLO-PA, Erekat lived the comfortable life, globetrotting around the world as the face of the Palestinian cause, narrated by him as a tale of victimhood and oppression. [Barry Shaw]

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Barry Shaw, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA