U.K. and Paris step up fight against BDS (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) The United Kingdom plans to step up its fight against the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, British Cabinet Office Minister Matthew Hancock said Tuesday during a visit to Israel. The British government is currently pursuing a new bill that would […]
Middle East Roundup: February 17, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israel’s Declaration of Independence proclaimed: “the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz Israel . . . will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on
Case- study problems of being a Jewish democracy Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Lisa Herndon NEW YORK — At 102, J. Zel Lurie “39 is likely the Columbia Journalism School”s longest-working journalist. Lurie, who lives in Delray Beach, Florida, suffers from macular degeneration and can no longer read, but it has never occurred to him to end a writing career that started decades ago. Only now, he
Retire at 102? Not a chance! Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, USABy Kenneth Bandler NEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee (AJC) applauds the Council of Paris for adopting two resolutions on Tuesday, Feb. 16, opposing the BDS (boycott, sanctions and divestment) movement that has been targeting Israel. The council is the governing body for the French capital. The Paris Council action firmly opposes “all attempts
Paris action against BDS praised by AJC Read More »
International, Middle East, USALebanese paper claims Hezbollah found missing IDF soldier’s items (JNS.org) The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar has reported that the former Defense and Operations Chief of Hezbollah Imad Mughniyeh, whose 2008 assassination has been attributed to Israel, led a unit that found the parachute and uniform of Ron Arad, the Israeli Air-Force navigator who disappeared after being imprisoned
Middle East Roundup: February 16, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — On February 15, 2016 history was made in Israel that many of us would rather not have witnessed: Israel’s eighth prime minister has begun his 19-month prison sentence for corruption and related charges. Despite his many other achievements, Ehud Olmert will probably be remembered not for the good he
Olmert in prison proves no one above Israeli law Read More »
Middle EastBy Richard L. Cravatts, PhD BOSTON, Massachusetts –Jews have been accused of harming and murdering non-Jews since the twelfth century in England, when Jewish convert to Catholicism, Theobald of Cambridge, mendaciously announced that European Jews ritually slaughtered Christian children each year and drank their blood during Passover season. That medieval blood libel, largely abandoned in
Rutgers Prof. revives blood libel against Israel Read More »
Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Two IDF reservists, touring Southern California as guests of the pro-Israel advocacy group StandWithUS, described to several audiences the precautions the Israeli military takes to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza and other areas of combat operations. At the same time, Edan and Gilad (their last names withheld by
Two IDF reservists tell of morality in combat Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USAIsrael maintains ‘discreet’ ties with many Arab states, Netanyahu says (JNS.org) Major Arab countries “are changing their view of Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a visiting Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations leadership delegation in Jerusalem on Sunday. “They don’t see Israel anymore as their enemy, but they see Israel as their
Middle East Roundup: February 15, 2016 Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — In the period following the 1967 Six-Day War, many Russian Jews applied to leave the Soviet Union. While some were allowed to leave, many were denied permission. The reason given for rejection was that at some point in their lives, these people might have been given access
Ida Nudel: Portrait of a Soviet Refusenik Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Jews and others who lament that there were not more effective efforts to combat the Holocaust may learn something from the limited concern thus far shown by western governments for the carnage in Syria. It qualifies for the label of a mini-Holocaust, with what may be half a million killed
World ignores Syrian refugees as it did the Jews Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It isn’t all about great ideas, inspiring movements, massive rallies, calls for salvation or death. There is also reason to think about some curiosities, that may or may not be significant. Most prominent on my radar is a curious slice of gerontocracy competing for the presidency of the world’s most
Symbolic change versus change with real meaning Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USANEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee (AJC) fully shares the outrage of the Reform movement in response to the disparaging remarks made by Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin. The controversy erupted after Levin declared that “Reform Jews in the U.S. are a dying world.” “His words are both offensive and off-base,” said AJC Chief
Tourism Minister Levin’s remarks on Reform assailed Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, USABy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — Iran, according to the United Nations Security Council resolution (7/20/15) endorsing the Iran nuclear deal, is “called upon” to refrain, for up to eight years, from working on ballistic missiles which are designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Existing sanctions imposed on Iran’s missile program were NOT ended. But
Israel prepares for rocket war with Iran Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer