Middle East

An act of betrayal and infamy

President Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria may well be remembered as one of the most egregious and inhuman disasters that he has ever taken since he came to power. For a President of the United States to make such a critical decision with so many implications, simply based on a conversation with Turkish President Erdogan, not only shows his shortsightedness and total lack of strategic approach, but his inability to appreciate how that will adversely affect our friends and please our foes. We are already witnessing the unfolding disaster, and there are no words to explain how and by what logic the President of the United States in particular can take such critical steps, knowing how disastrous the repercussions of his actions would be. (To read more, please click on the headline.)

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Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East, USA

Yom Kippur is very different in Israel

Israeli families, students and really everyone who has not left the country for vacation, takes to the streets by foot, bike or scooter. The whole country, every city and every street becomes a park. They begin walking around at sundown and do not stop until the next sundown. There are picnics, there are gangs of 10 year olds on bikes, there are gangs of girls on skates, there are toddlers in the middle of the street, there are skateboarders pulled by bikers, there are old men and young men, women and children, sitting on streets and corners and talking, enjoying each other’s company. They have no food, they have no drinks, there is no trash. It is just pure joy to be outside without having to go anywhere and without having to watch out for cars. (To read more, please click on the headline.)

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Jewish Religion, Middle East, Sam Litvin

A unity government in Israel?

There are signs that Israel will be spared the nightmare of a third election. The politicians of the two major parties may be coming to their senses. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who engineered the second election less than a month ago, has realized that he lost mandates in this second round and, for all we know, internal polls may be indicating that he may fare even worse next time. His rival Benny Ganz of the Blue and White party also seems to sense that compromise is best. He has made it known that he’s prepared to join forces with Netanyahu’s Likud in a rotation as prime minister. (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Middle East

Will a reelected Trump turn on Israel?

Only the naïve among us have ever believed that Donald Trump was personally committed to Israel and that his much heralded “deal of the century” would bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Skeptics saw through the charade and understood that his alleged commitment to Israel was primarily to get American evangelicals to vote for him. One was always left with the feeling that he didn’t care for Jews or the Jewish state. (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Middle East, USA

Sefer Devarim and Jewish Sovereignty  

Sefer Devarim, the last “book” of Torah, is also called Deuteronomy because it contains many laws (1) that were not presented earlier and are especially relevant to the conquering and settlement of Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel). Commanded to conquer and “take possession” of Canaan, the Jewish people were apparently having doubts about whether this was possible, what it would cost in lives, if they would be successful, and what they should do with the Canaanites.  
Contemporary Israelis ask similar questions. Although the words of Torah guide our lives, some have a political meaning today, and may be, for some, controversial.  (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East

Repercussions of Israel’s fractured democracy

Relative to most parliamentary (particularly West European) democracies, Israel has a larger number of parties which has only grown over the years, each vying for the biggest representation in the Israeli parliament.

There are two major reasons behind the vast number of political parties. The Jews who immigrated to Israel from nearly 120 different countries came with different cultural, political, and ideological backgrounds – there were liberals, conservatives, socialists, and even communists. (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East

Notes on Torah reading for October 5, 2019

This passage led me to explore whether other ancient conquerors also made such a claim that their gods marched with them. In exploring the internet, I found no such claims for other nations. There, in fact, is the story in II Kings 3:27 that King Mesha of Moab, about to suffer a military defeat, sacrificed his eldest son, followed by withdrawal of the appalled enemy.

The Internet did yield a review of the military mights of “10 of the Greatest Ancient Warrior Cultures…” Hereby I offer you a sample of their military actions. (To read more, please click on the headline).

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International, Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion, Middle East

Its people and geography make Israel special

Like every country, Israel has its advantages and its disadvantages. One of the former is its climate, which is on the whole pleasant (at least in Jerusalem) with sunny days throughout the summer, often with cool evenings and nights. It also has a long coastline giving most of the population access to the sea with all its benefits.

Considering its small size, the country encompasses a particularly wide range ofinteresting geographical features, with hilly areas in the north, and even mountains on which one can ski in winter. (To read more, please click on the headline)

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

Self- esteem key to women’s progress in Morocco

By Lailah Said and Victoria Burns AGERZRANE, Morocco–“I do not love myself.” “I do not feel confident in myself.” Imagine feeling this way about yourself. Now imagine hearing this from your mother, sister, or daughter, and knowing that the negative self-conception that they hold within themselves is due to social and cultural constraints beyond their

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International, Lifestyles, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

Arab support for Gantz a sign Jewish – Arab relations improving?

Ten Knesset Members of the United Arab List advised the President to select Beny Gantz as the next Prime Minister. Three other MKs of that list refused to select anyone as the next Prime Minister.

What we’re seeing is another element of the Israelization of the Arab citizens of Israel.

And the approach of many other Arabs to support some kind of accommodation with Israel.

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 28, 2019

Items in today’s column include:  *How various public schools named for Jews rank academically *Archaeology in Israel will be subject of day-long colloquium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography *Political Bytes *Honorable Menschen *Passages By Donald H. Harrison How various public schools named for Jews rank academically SAN DIEGO  — Voice of San Diego recently published “A

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education