By Gerald M. Steinberg JERUSALEM — The revelations that the Israeli political organization Breaking the Silence (BTS) was gathering sensitive or potentially classified information on the IDF caught many Israelis – including me, a long-time critic of this fringe NGO – off guard. Like others, I knew that the handful of activists in this group […]
‘Breaking The Silence’ probe fuels NGO reporting bid Read More »
Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I don’t write about every concert I attend, or even every book I read, for that matter. That would be boring and repetitive. However, there are some concerts (and some books) that I feel I really must share with anyone out there who might be slightly interested in
Bach’s ‘St. Matthew Passion’ stirs Jerusalem audience Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsGaps remain between U.S. and Israel in security aid talks (JNS.org) Gaps remain between Israel and the U.S. in negotiations on a new 10-year memorandum of understanding for security assistance. America is offering annual aid of $3.4 billion, up from the current level of $3.1 billion. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has asked
Middle East Roundup: Mach 28, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A recent visit with a young Japanese friend, a paratrooper in the IDF, provided an insight into the nature of Israel and other places. He said that fellow soldiers take him for Chinese or Korean, even though he explains that he comes from Japan. Israelis do a lot of traveling
To know Israel is to know the ethnic players Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — A few days ago a human rights organization made public a video after a terrorist attack on soldiers in Hebron that shows one of the soldiers shooting to kill a terrorist who had already been injured and “neutralized” (as the official term has it). The prime minister and the
Polarized reaction to shooting incident in Hebron Read More »
Middle EastAn Improbable Friendship: The Remarkable Lives of Israeli Ruth Dayan and Palestinian Raymonda Tawil and Their Forty Year Peace Mission, by Anthony David, Arcade Publishing, 2015 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — Ruth Dayan was married to and then divorced from Israel’s General Moshe Dayan. Raymonda Tawil was the mother-in-law of Palestinian Fatah Chairman Yasser
From the Jewish library: ‘An Improbable Friendship’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Middle EastArgentine Jews ask for Netanyahu’s help with rampant assimilation (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Leaders of Argentina’s Jewish community have warned that accelerated assimilation by Jews in the South American nation and worldwide is “placing the Jewish people’s future at risk.” The phenomenon, they said, is akin to “quiet terrorism.” Buenos Aires is home to one
Middle East Roundup: March 25, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastFrom the Wilderness and Lebanon: An Israeli Soldier’s Story of War and Recovery by Asael Lubotzky, Translated from the Hebrew by Murray Roston,Toby Press, New Milford, Connecticut; ISBN 978-1-59264-417-9 ©2015, $14.95, p. 188 By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California –The Third Platoon of the Golani Brigade, now working near Gaza for training, but normally operating in Northern Israel,
Gaza, Lebanon–An Israeli soldier’s diary Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Middle EastBy Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — Western intelligence services repeatedly warned Belgium of a serious and imminent terror threat. They even gave the intended targets, the airport and the underground system, but Belgian security services failed to take the necessary preventative measures that may have stopped the huge loss of life and injury on
Indifferent security led to massacre in Belgium Read More »
Barry Shaw, International, Middle East
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Stav Shaffir, the social justice activist and protest leader who became the youngest female Member of Knesset (MK) in Israel’s history, “is bringing her message of peace and hope to San Diego this month,” according to J-Street. On Tuesday, April 12th, she will appear at San Diego’s Temple Emanu-El
J Street to bring MK Shaffir to Temple Emanu-El Read More »
Middle East, San Diego CalendarBy Daniel Sokatch NEW YORK — The next chapter in the developing story of the attempt to marginalize Israeli human right activists is now unfolding in Israel. This time, it centers around an “expose” aired on Israel’s Channel Two last week about interviews that Breaking the Silence did with demobilized soldiers. The “smoking gun” is
NIF: ‘Breaking the Silence’ being smeared Read More »
Middle East, USAU.S. paid $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to Iran after secret talks, report says (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) The Obama administration spent three years engaged in secret talks with Iran that resulted in the payment of $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to Iran, with more future payouts likely, according to a U.S. State Department letter
Middle East Roundup: March 24, 2016 Read More »
International, Middle East
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Those maps of the Middle Ages that put Jerusalem at the center of the world are still relevant. They were created by Christians whose faith began with the life and death of Christ in and around this city. Despite surveys in western countries that show declines in religious adherence or literal acceptance of
Many outside forces seek to affect Israel’s future Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Richard L. Cravatts, PhD BOSTON — When GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s March 11th rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion was shut down last week by hundreds of leftist protestors, comprised of activists from Moveon.org, Black Lives Matter, Muslim groups, and even unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, the morally indignant protestors had
Campus groups stifle free speech — except theirs Read More »
Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA