Israeli Foreign Ministry’s ex-director slammed over push for pressure on Israel (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Former Israeli Foreign Ministry director general Alon Liel was slammed over his push for international institutions—including the United Nations and FIFA (world soccer’s governing body)—to put more pressure on Israel. “Alon Liel served for many years in senior roles in […]
Middle East Roundup: January 14, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — In January, 2016, a group of emergency relief experts from Indonesia joined their counterparts from India and Sri Lanka in a six day disaster and emergency education seminar in Israel This is part of a major new initiative between the Jewish state and Muslim-majority states outside the Middle East. Organized
Israel’s high- tech success trumps political barriers Read More »
Barry Shaw, International, Middle EastNazi graffiti spray-painted on historic Tel Aviv synagogue (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israeli police launched an investigation after a Tel Aviv synagogue’s wall was spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti on Tuesday. The Chelouche Synagogue, which is part of a historic landmark in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek neighborhood, has served as a prayer facility since the time
Middle East Roundup: January 13, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — In one of the episodes of the TV drama, Homeland, a CIA operative reports to a meeting of senior officers about his experience in Syria. The discussion proceeds something like this. There are too many militias to count, and more than a few considered important. The US has no strategy guiding
Can radical Islam be defeated or moderated? Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAIsraeli justice minister slams U.S. intervention in ‘internal legislation’ (JNS.org) Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked criticized the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv’s statements voicing concern over Israel’s recently proposed NGO transparency bill, saying the Obama administration is interfering with internal Israeli legislation. The U.S. Embassy released two statements on Monday outlining U.S. Ambassador to Israel
Middle East Roundup: January 12, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Obama administration appears surprised by the sudden eruption of Saudi-Iranian hostility after the Saudi government executed Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and the Iranians responded by organizing/sponsoring/approving an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. Both sides have walked the rhetoric back just a bit in the last day
U.S. fails to understand Iran – Saudi rivalry Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USACAMERA rebuts LA Times op-ed that urged boycott of Israeli education system (JNS.org) The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) has rebutted an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times that made claims of inherent racism toward Palestinians in Israel’s educational system. The op-ed by comparative literature professor Saree Makdisi—titled “Why
Middle East Roundup: January 11, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Even those who don’t take much interest in Jewish thought probably know of the late Emil Fackenheim’s 11th (or 614th) commandment that all Jews must observe: to survive and not give Hitler a posthumous history. The State of Israel was for him the best, perhaps the only, guarantor of Jewish survival.
Jews must cry with one eye, laugh with the other Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Kenneth Bandler NEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Sunday, Jan. 10, condemned the desecration of the Catholic cemetery in Beit Jamal (near Beit Shemesh), Israel. In another action, the AJC welcomed the rejection by the American Historical Association of an anti-Israel resolution. Concerning the desecration of the cemetery, in which dozens of
AJC condemns cemetery vandalism; hails AHA vote Read More »
Middle East, USA
By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — As the motto of this website intones, “there’s a Jewish story everywhere,” and I found a good one in Morocco. It’s about a Moroccan Jew named Raphael Elmaleh and a Scottish expat living in Morocco named George Ricketts. They two men teamed up to write a guide
How a Jewish guide book of Morocco came to be Read More »
International, Middle East, Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It’s hard to find a more emotional issue roiling our American friends than guns and what’s associated with them. Who can have one or lots of them, what the Constitution guarantees, how much damage they produce, and what benefits they offer. A close cousin to gun control are issues of
Gun control in Israel and the U.S. Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The “Meet the Press” program on Israel’s TV Channel Two on Saturday evening reported on a poll it had commissioned to rate members of the government. I’m sure that those who didn’t do well will tell us that we must not rely on polls. Perhaps they’re right. Nevertheless, we may still
Most popular Israeli politician? Ya’akov Litzman Read More »
Middle EastBy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — Let’s get over the fact that there’s a double standard applied to Jews and especially to Israelis. It’s a given, so Israel’s government must come to terms with it and do what Israel needs to do for its security, regardless of the low esteem and condemnations that will follow whenever
Double standard should not deter Israel Read More »
Middle East, Steve KramerBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Jews like to think that we’re smarter than other people. And those of Israel see themselves as shrewder than cousins who have lived for generations in western countries. However, we don’t always get it right, all at once, or at our first try. We’re currently wondering about our new chief
A new Israeli police chief has a rough start Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East