Middle East

White Helmets, grateful for Oscar nod, hope for peace in Syria

Beirut (dpa) – Members of the Syria Civil Defence group, a neutral team of some 3,000 volunteers providing aid to Syria’s rebel-held areas, expressed joy on Monday that a film documenting their work won an Oscar for best short documentary. The 40-minute Netflix film “The White Helmets” tells the stories of the group’s volunteers as […]

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Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Iranian scientist who accepted Oscar says US is turning away the best and brightest

Former NASA scientist Firouz Naderi has done some pretty amazing things. He helped land a rover on Mars. He searched for signs of life beyond the solar system. But he never thought he’d be standing next to Shirley MacLaine, clutching an Oscar statuette. But that’s exactly what happened Sunday night. Naderi and fellow scientist Anousheh

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Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Statecraft requires talking to your enemies

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — It’s understandable, even if often immature, that individuals don’t speak to those they consider to be enemies. But it’s deplorable when states behave like that. That’s how I understood Ephraim Halevy, a former high ranking Israeli intelligence chief, when he spoke in Jerusalem earlier this week. His analyses based

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International, Middle East, USA

Middle East Roundup: February 27, 2017

Report: US considers withdrawing from UN human rights body, citing anti-Israel bias (JNS.org) The U.S. is reportedly considering withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a body that has been accused of harboring deep anti-Israel bias and favoring countries with authoritarian governments. A former State Department official said the UNHRC’s anti-Israel bias is

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Middle East

Bacteria in a sponge species can render arsenic inert

TEL AVIV, Israel (Press Release) — Arsenic is the leading freshwater contaminant on the planet, affecting millions of people worldwide and causing an untold number of deaths every year. Removing arsenic from groundwater and freshwater is a major challenge still facing scientists and policymakers. Now a new Tel Aviv University study published in Nature Communications

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

6 members of Congress, 4 MKs, 1 Palestinian negotiator, no top Republicans at J Street confab

Liberal group’s first conference of Trump era features Bernie Sanders, Saeb Erekat, Joint (Arab) List leader MK Ayman Odeh By Eric Cortellessa US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks as he debates with Democratic presidential candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during their MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February

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Middle East, USA

‘Give this Holocaust survivor the respect she deserves’

One of the world”s smallest and most geographically isolated Jewish communities has united behind an effort to fulfill a Holocaust survivor”s last dying wish, and give her a proper Jewish burial in the Land of Israel. The Jewish community of the Canary Islands – an Atlantic archipelago under Spanish sovereignty west of Morocco – numbers

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International, Jewish History, Middle East

Over 150 lawmakers call on France to recognise Palestinian statehood

More than 150 French lawmakers signed an open letter on Sunday urging outgoing President Francois Hollande to officially recognise the Palestinian Territories as a state. The move comes during a period of renewed international determination to revive the two-state solution, after the last talks brokered by then US secretary of state John Kerry collapsed back

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International, Middle East

US considering leaving Human Rights Council – report

Citing anonymous sources, Politico says US State Department ‘questions value’ of the UN body, which is ‘biased’ against Israel By Judah Ari Gross US United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at the Security Council meeting on February 21, 2017 at UN Headquarters in New York. (AFP PHOTO / KENA BETANCUR) The United States reportedly could

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International, Middle East, USA

Montana advances anti-BDS bill

Lawmakers in the state of Montana on Saturday advanced a bill that pledges solidarity with Israel by refusing to do business with firms boycotting the Jewish state, reports The Associated Press. Republican House Speaker Austin Knudsen of Culbertson said his bill allows Montana to stand in solidarity with Israel. The bill, he added, “sends the

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Middle East, USA

Pence: We’ll never compromise Israel’s safety

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reiterated the Trump administration”s steadfast commitment to Israel while vowing that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon. Pence”s comments were made on Friday as he addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition”s annual leadership conference, taking place in Las Vegas. “President Trump is personally invested in forging a lasting peace in

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Middle East, USA