Middle East

Khamenei: America and Israel seek to create ‘new Israel’

Iran”s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday equated Kurdish independence with the establishment of a “new Israel” in the region. Speaking after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran and quoted by Reuters, Khamenei said the two countries should prevent Iraq”s Kurdistan region from declaring independence. “Turkey and Iran must take […]

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Middle East, USA

Why U.S. should re-certify the Iran nuclear pact

By Alon Ben-Meir NEW YORK — The concern that Iran will pursue the development of nuclear weapons once the current Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal expires in ten years is legitimate. But addressing these concerns cannot be achieved by nullifying the current agreement, which would only strengthen Iran’s resolve to acquire nuclear weapons. Instead,

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Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East, USA

Erdogan: Only Israel recognizes Kurdish referendum

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday again claimed there is a connection between the Israeli Mossad and the recently-held referendum by the Kurds in northern Iraq, claims which Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has already denied. Speaking at a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Erdogan said Wednesday, according to

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Middle East

Menasce Synagogue on Heritage List

Alexandria’s Menasce Synagogue has been placed on Egypt’s Heritage List, reports Nevine El-Aref Alexandria’s Menasce Synagogue The Menasce Synagogue is located in Mansheya Square in central Alexandria, its simple architectural style and façade being complemented by decorated arcaded widows. This week, more than 100 years after it was built, the synagogue has been added to

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin to step down from education network he founded

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin will step down from running the network of liberal Orthodox schools and seminaries he founded. The Israeli-American leader will retire in July 2018 as chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone, a network of educational institutions that has pushed the limits of traditional Jewish law to be more inclusive of women and converts. Rabbi

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

Arab Israeli FB star blasts Kuwait for boycotting Israel

Barred from traveling through Kuwait over his Israeli citizenship, Arab Israeli Facebook star Nuseir Yassin on Sunday blasted the country for boycotting the Jewish state in a video viewed over 400,000 times. Yassin was scheduled to fly from New York to India via Kuwait. When he arrived at the JFK airport he was told that

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Middle East, Sports & Competitions

In first since 1973, Israeli minister in ‘private’ visit to Cuba

Culture Minister Miri Regev has traveled to Cuba for a “private family vacation,” her office said Tuesday, marking the first time that a cabinet member has visited the country since it broke diplomatic ties with Israel in 1973. The visit, first reported by the Haaretz newspaper, was not organized through the Foreign Ministry and will

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International, Middle East

Netanyahu rejects Palestinian reconciliation unless Hamas disarms

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday Israel would reject any reconciliation deal between the two leading Palestinian factions unless the Iran-backed Islamist movement Hamas disarmed. “We are not prepared to accept bogus reconciliations in which the Palestinian side apparently reconciles at the expense of our existence,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “Whoever wants to

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Middle East

Thirsty Sea of Galilee sinking toward lowest level ever recorded

Days before tens of thousands of Israelis descend on the Sea of Galilee for the Sukkot holiday, the Water Authority warned that the freshwater lake is at dangerously low levels and expected to reach “the lowest level ever recorded.” Northern Israel is experiencing one of the worst droughts in 100 years, leaving the country’s water

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Middle East

Tel Aviv city hall lights up in red, white and blue in solidarity with US

Tel Aviv’s city hall lit up in red, white and blue on Monday, in solidarity with the United States after a gunman killed at least 58 people and injured over 515 more in the worst mass shooting in the country’s history. The facade of the building displayed an American flag and an Israeli flag, toggling

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Middle East, USA

In first, two women appointed as Mossad division heads

Marking a first for Israel’s national intelligence agency, the Mossad has revealed that two women were recently appointed division heads, the highest position reached by women in the secretive government body. With the identities of the two withheld from publication for security reasons, Yedioth Aharonoth reported Sunday that “S” was appointed to the role of

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Middle East

Coming soon-US to ease Visa requirements for Israelis

Israel and the United States are in negotiations to establish a joint fingerprint database, which will be a significant step forward in granting blanket visa exemptions for Israelis wishing to enter the United States. According to Channel 2, a meeting was held Monday between the Justice Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and the Prime Minister’s Office

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Middle East, USA