Never able to shake off the painful memory of having his fingers shot off by an intruder at Chabad of Poway nor of seeing congregant Lori Gilbert-Kaye murdered and two other congregants wounded, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein has decided to retire. [Donald H. Harrison]
Chabad of Poway’s Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein retires Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
The latest example of this pseudo-scholarship—born out of contortions of history and fact to conform, instead, to spurious narratives—has embroiled Boston University in a debate about the academic qualifications of a prospective faculty hire, Sarah Ihmoud, a postdoctoral associate in Anthropology and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. As is the current trend in the humanities and social sciences in academia, Ihmoud, in her writing about feminism and sexuality, focuses obsessively on the predations of the Jew of nations, Israel, in a torrent of so-called research. [Richard L. Cravatts, PhD]
Psuedo-scholars revive the blood libel Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education
Many of our readers may remember Art Linkletter’s television show Kids Say the Darndest Things. In classrooms throughout the nation, their parents say even darnder things. Just ask Cheryl Kolker and Jan Landau, longtime teachers at the San Diego Jewish Academy who have collected anecdotes from 30 of their colleagues in American public and private schools and put them all into a humorous book Teachers Have You Ever..!!@#*!! [Donald H. Harrison]
Humorous book relates teachers’ anecdotes Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Most worrisome to Israel’s military is that what happened in Saudi Arabia could happen to Israel. On the night of September 14, two oil installations in Saudi Arabia were attacked by a combination of cruise missiles and a new type of delta-winged UAV. Uzi Rubin, one of the world’s leading missile defense experts, pointed out that there were 25 air vehicles in all, 18 drones and seven jet-powered cruise missiles. Of the 18 drones, 17 hit their targets (94%), while of the cruise missiles, only four hit their targets (60%). [Stephen D. Bryen]
Improved weapons could prompt full-scale Middle East war Read More »
Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen
My mistrust of politicians made me fear that a war would get them out of the impasse. I’ve, therefore, in ignorance asked myself if the spectacular assassination in Gaza of the commander of Islamic Jihad Baha Abu al-Ata and his wife, and injuring his four children, was an attempt to initiate a military conflict. Some commentators seem to suggest it, notably the editor of +972 Magazine Edo Konrad. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
Did Netanyahu purposely precipitate a Gaza crisis? Read More »
Middle East
From the respondents to my original article, I am also glad to hear that Witold Pilecki is the most revered in Poland and has been for some time. But one respondent claimed, “There is no anti-Semitism in Poland!” I hoped that this might indeed be the case. But this comment piqued my curiosity, so I decided to check out this out for myself. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Poland, other countries, had mixed Holocaust records Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USA
Sha’ar Hanegev, the partnership region in Israel of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, has been experiencing a lot of tension, but so far no casualties in the current barrage of rockets being fired at Israel from Gaza. [Donald H. Harrison]
S.D partnership region under rocket attack Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
Over 150 rockets were fired at Israeli civilian targets by the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists from Gaza within hours after the November 12 targeted air strike assassination of Baha Abu al-Ata, a top commander of Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (PIJ). Coming just over two weeks after the U.S. successfully targeted ISIS terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to be captured or killed there is a simple question to ask here: What would the U.S. decide to do if after al-Baghdadi killed himself his terrorist soldiers fired 150 rockets as U.S. civilian targets? Would the U.S. then decide to negotiate with ISIS over how large their independent state would be, where its borders would be, and where its capital would be located? [Moshe Phillips]
150 reasons to say ‘No’ to a Palestinian state Read More »
Middle East, USA
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) honored Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday with its Light Unto the Nations Award. It is the global Jewish advocacy organization’s highest honor bestowed on world leaders who exhibit leadership in the defense of democratic values and friendship with the Jewish people. [American Jewish Committee news release]
AJC honors Japan’s PM Abe Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
The Court of Justice of the European Union issued a decision Tuesday that Israeli-made products from East Jerusalem and other disputed Israeli territories be labeled with the designation “colonies israéliennes” (“Israeli colony or settlement”). The controversial regulation was driven by foreign policy concerns, and contributes in no demonstrable way to food safety or consumer protection. The Lawfare Project and Cabinet Briard initiated legal action in 2017 on behalf of Israeli winemaker Psâgot, challenging the regulation before France’s administrative supreme court (Conseil d’État), which asked for guidance from the CJEU. [Lawfare Project press release]
EU court mandates labeling of Israeli products Read More »
Business & Finance, International, Middle East, USA
Both at the top, and both are reeling on the edge. Can they help one another? Perhaps with favorable comments. But both are subject to local pressures likely to overcome such goodies. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Parallel troubles for Trump and Netanyahu Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
The former foreign minister said that it was during the Second Lebanon War that she realized that there could be no military solution to Israel’s troubles with its neighbors, only a political one. She said when the terrorist group Hezbollah attacked settlements in the north of Israel, she was urged by then U.S. Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice to prevent her country’s military forces from destroying the duly constituted Lebanese government while retaliating against Hezbollah. [Donald H. Harrison]
Tzipi Livni remains optimistic about Mideast peace Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
In a telephone interview, Sivan described what on the surface might be viewed as two conflicting goals, but which in fact are complementary.On the one hand, he said, Technion strives to isolate itself from politics. On the other hand, Technion intends to become more involved in solving some of the world’s overarching problems such as environmental issues, energy, human health, and ethics. [Donald H. Harrison]
Technion president favors isolating campus from politics while solving global problems Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
I Kings covered the history of ancient Judah and Israel from the coronation of King Solomon in 967 BCE through the split of ancient Israel into two nations, Judah and Israel, because King Solomon’s son overtaxed the people as his father did, though the reign of King Jehoshaphat who died in 846 BCE. II Kings resumes the story and tells readers about the twelve kings of the northern kingdom of Israel from 846 BCE, ending in 721/722 BCE when the kingdom was destroyed, and the sixteen kings of the southern kingdom of Judah from 846 BCE until it was destroyed in 587/6 BCE. It describes the kings of the two nations, Judah and Israel, the politics, wars, and a significant problem of the era in both kingdoms, idolatry. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Middle East was politically unstable in biblical times Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East