Middle East

Cineplex not nearly so wondrous as our yesterdays

By Rabbi Ben Kamin OCEANSIDE, California — These are the springtime festival days of Israel—Holocaust Remembrance Day last week, Israel Independence Day today, Jerusalem Day soon. I remember when, several years ago, it was reported in the international media that a huge, luxury Cineplex was being constructed in the suburban Israeli community of Kfar-Saba.  I retain

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Middle East, Travel and Food

Middle East Roundup: May 1, 2017

UNESCO plans anti-Israel vote on Israel’s Independence Day (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) The cultural body of the United Nations is expected to adopt a resolution Tuesday, on Israel’s Independence Day, classifying Israel as an “occupying power” in Jerusalem. UNESCO is also expected to conclude that the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb, both Jewish

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Middle East

Israeli Arabs view country more positively than Jews, survey finds

While 66% of Arabs see the overall situation as good, just 43.9% of the Jewish population agreed, according to new IDI study ahead of Israel’s 69th Independence Day By Stuart Winer Illustrative photo of an Israeli crowd. (Roni Schutzer/Flash90) More among Israel’s Arab community than its Jewish population are satisfied with life in Israel and

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Middle East

Waters: I failed to persuade Radiohead to cancel Israel show

Former Pink Floyd star and leading anti-Israel activist Roger Waters admitted that his push to get Radiohead to cancel an upcoming concert in Israel had failed. His comments came this past Wednesday at an hourlong discussion hosted by The New York Times newspaper and attended by a representative of the Washington Free Beacon website. The

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Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Israel asks UN for permission to inspect Armon Hanatziv compound

The Jerusalem District Court last week ordered the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israel Land Authority to respond to the petition filed last week by Regavim against the United Nations over an illegal construction boom at the UN headquarters in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood, which belongs to the State of Israel. The state, for its part,

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International, Middle East

Netanyahu and the Germans

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Breaking the Silence is an Israeli NGO that collects testimonies from Israeli soldiers about their actions and experiences in the occupied territories. The accounts are at times less than complimentary to Israel’s military establishment. B’Tselem is another Israeli NGO that publishes documents about Israeli human rights violations in the

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International, Middle East

Israel announces West Bank, Gaza closure ahead of Independence Day

Only humanitarian cases will be allowed in as nation mourns fallen soldiers and then celebrates its 69th year By Times of Israel staff Israeli security forces at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah, on November 22, 2016 (Flash90) Israel announced a closure of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip Saturday night ahead of Memorial Day

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Middle East

‘We had an opportunity to move the Embassy, and we blew it’

Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) spoke on Friday on Channel 2’s “Meet the Israeli Press” program. In the interview, Shaked spoke about the US’ offer to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in exchange for a two-state solution. “I think it’s hopeless. It’s like banging your head against the wall,” Shaked said. “It’s a

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Middle East

Pope Francis renews call against extremism in historic Cairo Mass

Cairo (dpa) – Pope Francis made an appeal against extremism during a Mass conducted amid tight security in Cairo on Saturday, the second and final day of his historic visit to Muslim-majority Egypt. The trip has been billed as a chance at promoting inter-faith dialogue and delivering a repudiation against religious violence. Nearly 25,000 people

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International, Middle East