Middle East

Touring the Israeli coast and Hula Nature Reserve

On a recent beautiful autumn morning we left for a short two-day holiday with friends. Our plans included the Hula Lake bird sanctuary and the Old City in Acre (called Akko in Israel). But since our friends hadn’t eaten yet, we decided to enjoy a breakfast break on our way north at the fabulous Herodian/Crusader ruins in Caesarea National Park. [Steve Kramer]

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Middle East, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food

Fordham’s proper effort to exclude SJP from its campus

In 2016, one university, Fordham University in New York, cognizant of SJP’s history of poisoning dialogue on campuses and promoting a campaign of libels, defamation, and lies against Israel and Jewish students, reversed the decision of the student government to allow SJP to become a recognized student organization and decided that SJP, based on its sorry record at other universities, had no place at Fordham. [Richard L. Cravatts, PhD]

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

Feinstein endorses Gloria; FPPC fines him

Other items in this column include: * Capacity crowd seen for Tzipi Livni * Two Jewish fraternities among 14 suspended at SDSU * Political bytes * Coming our way By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein in his bid to succeed termed-out Kevin Faulconer

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

Trump-Erdogan meeting an exercise in cynicism

President Trump’s inviting of Turkey’s President Erdogan to Washington comes at a peculiar time when the House of Representatives is pursuing the impeachment inquiry against Trump and when Erdogan is preoccupied with his invasion of Syria and the growing frustration of the Turkish public with his ruthless domestic and adventurous foreign policy. The question is, what message will Erdogan’s visit send to both the US’ friends and foes? [Alon Ben-Meir, PhD]

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Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East, USA

Remembering Yitzhak Rabin

I was having a conversation with high school students and I asked them who Yitzhak Rabin was. Few had heard of him or knew what he stood for. Yet all of them were aware of the conflict that he fought so hard to resolve. While Rabin is no longer with us, the challenges he faced, and conflicts he encountered continue to thrive. Just this week, we saw a new barrage of rockets being fired from Hamas into Southern Israel. [Rabbi Joshua Dorsch]

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Middle East

How U.S. benefits from alliance with Israel

The origins of U.S.-Israel security cooperation are in the Cold War understanding that the United States could not engage all the adversaries of all its allies and friends around the world. It was embraced warily at first — the Americans were unconvinced they would receive anything of value and the Israelis were concerned about continued freedom of action. But it worked. Israel went from being considered a net security consumer to a net security producer, meaning the United States did not have to expend resources to defend Israel. And Israel participated in making the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean regions more secure due to its presence. [Shoshana Bryen]

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International, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA

Chutzpah and Balagan: partners in innovation

he State of Israel is an amazing place. Ever wonder about the secrets behind how Israel, a tiny country with the highest concentration of start-ups per capita worldwide, is raising generations of entrepreneurs who are disrupting markets around the globe and bringing change to the world? What factors have led to these remarkable achievements, and what secrets do Israeli tech entrepreneurs know that others can learn? [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East

Republicans launch bid for Jewish support in 2020

 Social media users in San Diego County and around the country soon will be bombarded with the Republican Jewish Coalition’s opening salvo in an effort to reelect Donald Trump in 2020 – a 30-second video spot contending it is a “shanda” (disgrace) how leading Democrats are attacking Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, USA

U.S. receives large returns on Israel investment

Both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have made US military aid to Israel a cornerstone policy on their competing campaign trails. Detractors of Israel like to jump on the figure of $3.8 Billion (2019) that the United States gives to Israel for its military defense. What they do not take into consideration are three important factors that make the US-Israel defense relationship truly unique. [Barry Shaw]

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Barry Shaw, Middle East, USA

Should Israel moderate its Iran stand?

It’s difficult to know whether Netanyahu’s obsession with Iran is because he cares for his country or if his real purpose is to persuade Israelis that he and only he can make sure that Israel remains secure, expanding at the expense of the Palestinians and prosperous? The answer isn’t simple. For there’s much to suggest that Israeli hostility to Iran has brought the Jewish state closer to many Arab states, notably Saudi Arabia and Gulf States, on the basis that my enemy’s enemy is my friend. Much of that may be thanks to our prime minister. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]

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Middle East

A busy November for Friends of Israel Defense Forces

With the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) planning its Western Regional Gala on Thursday, Nov.7, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, and the San Diego/ Orange County/ Arizona chapter planning a local gala just two days later on Nov. 9 at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel here in San Diego, it’s likely to be a busy time for the local chapter’s board. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego Calendar, San Diego County