By Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — Anyone reading the foreign press about the rioting taking place on the Temple Mount might imagine that Jews were running amok in Jerusalem. Nothing could be further from the truth. The violence derives from the provocative actions of paid volunteers of Islamist extremist groups such as Murabitun and Murabatat who, for […]
Muslim extremists prompt Temple Mount unrest Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–There’s more to religious divisions in Israel than those between Orthodoxy and Liberal (Conservative and Reform) Judaism. There’re also many opposing forces within Orthodoxy: Ashkenazim and Sephardim; Hasidim and their opponents; Zionists and anti-Zionists. Yet they’re together in the Knesset and currently all in the government. In recent years, however, yet
A new schism in Israeli Orthodoxy Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastDeclassified CIA report: Israeli offensive in Six-Day War surprised U.S. (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) A newly declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report sheds new light on how the U.S. intelligence community viewed the outbreak of the 1967 Six-Day War, suggesting American officials were surprised by the clashes. “Hostilities began early this morning,” reads the
Middle East Roundup: September 18, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — An American cousin sent me a link to the PBS documentary, 1913: Seeds of Conflict, and asked if it was a fair and accurate presentation. I clicked, and received a message, “We’re sorry, but this video is not available in your region due to right restrictions.” The Internet being what it
Arab – Jewish holy-day battles have many precedents Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The received wisdom of many pundits is that Jerusalem should be the last item in any peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, because it’s such a thorny issue. Professor Moshe Amirav of the Hebrew University believes that it must be the first item – precisely because it’s the most difficult
Is Vatican City a model for Temple Mount? Read More »
Middle EastIceland’s capital city votes to boycott all Israeli products (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, voted to boycott all products made in Israel. According to a symbolic bill passed in a majority vote by the municipality, the city will not purchase any products manufactured in Israel, whether within or beyond the 1967
Middle East Roundup: September 17, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East‘You won’t let us have a vote. You won’t let us have a debate.’ – Sen. Lindsey Graham (R- South Carolina) By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA –Republicans could have done more to save Israel from presumed destruction, after all. His protestations to the contrary, Lindsey Graham and his 53 fellow Republicans could have easily launched
Iran issue points again to need to end filibusters Read More »
Middle East, USA
Netanyahu vows to stem terror wave after fatal Rosh Hashanah attack (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday night to discuss ways to stem the recent surge of rock-throwing and firebombing attacks in Israel’s capital, including the killing of 64-year-old Jerusalem resident Alexander Levlovich in
Middle East Roundup: September 16, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — One of the principal lessons that should be taught in courses dealing with politics and public policy is the persistence of uncertainty. People who insist on telling us what will be, or what will not be, have a lot to learn. Many who claim to be predicting are telling us what
Uncertainty, incremental change staples of government Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — On July 6, 2010, as the sun was about to set over Arlington, Virginia, 89 year-old ex-U.S. Marine and Israeli Air Force fighter pilot, Lou Lenart stood on the reviewing stand at the base of the Marine Corps War Memorial, flanked by generals and took the salute
Lou Lenart: The pilot who saved Tel Aviv Read More »
Middle EastSAN DIEGO (SDONA)– Local Jewish organizations are joining a national effort to ask President Obama to allow 100,000 more Syrian refugees to settle in the United States. Jewish Family Service of San Diego and the Leichtag Foundation in Encinitas are joining HIAS, the oldest international migration and refugee resettlement agency in the U.S., to petition the government. As over
JFS, others call for U.S. to admit Syrian refugees Read More »
Middle East, San Diego County, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It’s not an auspicious beginning. Or maybe it is. The year is 5776, according to the Hebrew calendar, תשע”ו as you’ll find it on Israeli documents. By tradition, the calendar began with the creation of the world, but we needn’t let doubts about that bother us. As it is beginning, the
Jewish year 5776 starts ominously Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Israel seems to know how to keep out people it deems to be unwelcome intruders. But it’s helpless in protecting itself against the weather. The extreme heat that’s still with us and the accompanying sandstorm that’s now mercifully on the way out have taken center stage even in the
Israel has many problems as Jewish year turns Read More »
Middle EastBy Mimi Pollack LA MESA, California — Although I am very proud to be Jewish, I consider myself more of a spiritual person rather than a religious one. I was born in Chicago and when my family lived there, my parents belonged to a temple, and were fairly active in the Jewish community. That all
Raising funds for Middle Eastern and African refugees Read More »
International, Middle East, Mimi Pollack, USA