By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — “Strategy” is the summer watchword in Washington — strategy for handling ISIS, strategy for Syria, strategy for Middle East peace. The President says, “We don’t have, yet, a complete strategy” for ISIS, but presumably one will emerge. In this atmosphere, the debate over sending more American troops to Iraq, and […]
Obama helps Iran control Iraq, Syria, Lebanon Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USACypriot and Israeli leaders emphasize common threats in Jerusalem meetings (JNS.org) Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli leaders emphasized their nations’ shared challenges while holding meetings in Jerusalem. “Israel and Cyprus are both small countries, and share common threats in the shape of radical Islam, Iran, and the ongoing conflict in Syria, to name but
Jewish news briefs: June 16, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — It sometimes seems as if we’re living in a kind of science-fiction fantasy world in which, from the comfort of our home, we watch the dreadful events swirling around us while we remain cozily ensconced in our little cocoon of comfort and plenty. The images we see nightly
Watching disasters in comfort Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Who’s winning? Nobody. Among the refrains we hear from Israelis, overseas friends, and those sitting on the fence is that Israel (the government and the people) do not do enough to explain themselves. Hah! The sounds of Israeli efforts to explain themselves are deafening to those who bother to listen.
No winners in Israel vs. P.A. propaganda war Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Anav Silverman JERUSALEM — One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is home to the majority of India’s Jewish population. Among the 12 million people that make up the city, some 4,000 Jews live in the city. While many of India’s Jews have immigrated to Israel, the United
Birthright group from India tours Israel Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — On July 29, 1977, at Kfar Habad, a village near Tel Aviv, a bar mitzvah was in progress. After reading from the Torah, 13 year old, Shai Cohen spoke, “I promise you, father, that in my life I will never fail you. I will do my duty with
The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel’s greatest spy Read More »
Jewish History, Middle EastNearly half of Palestinians killed in Gaza war were armed, Israeli report finds (JNS.org) A new Israeli Foreign Ministry report on last summer’s Operation Protective Edge found that nearly half (44 percent) of the 2,125 Palestinians killed were confirmed to have been armed members of Hamas or other terrorist organizations. The 277-page report, titled “The
Jewish news briefs: June 15, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Now it’s almost official, having become the subject of a detailed article in The Economist. Barack Obama has produced a New Middle East, but it ain’t the one he intended. Democracy has not blossomed as called for in his Cairo speech of 2009. The new Egyptian government that the American President
Saudi- Israel relations warm as Iran threat looms Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — The Supreme Court has struck down as unconstitutional a congressional effort that would allow Americans born in Jerusalem to list Israel as their birthplace on passports. This ruling also upholds the principle that the president alone has the power to recognize foreign nations. Mr. President, if you would
Jerusalem, Mr. President, is Israel’s capital Read More »
Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–This column is not about the great stuff circulating around Israel. It’s not relevant to the unhappiness of Jews with Israeli morality, or the more widespread animosity of goyim who qualify for contemporary conceptions of anti-Semitism. It’s about one of the littlest pischers in Israeli politics. The youngest Knesset Member who barely squeaked
Bulgarian prostitutes, drugs, and MK Hazan Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAU.S. Jews feel more warmly about Netanyahu than Obama, poll finds (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) American Jews feel more warmly about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than U.S. President Barack Obama, a new poll says. In the poll, commissioned by the left-wing J Street lobby, respondents were asked to quantify their feelings about the two
Jewish news briefs: June 12, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABirthright names 500,000th participant, launches ‘Tel Aviv Urban Experience’ (JNS.org) The Taglit-Birthright Israel program, which takes Jews ages 18-26 on free 10-day trips to Israel, on Wednesday named its 500,000th participant. During an event at Tel Aviv’s Wohl Amphitheater on Wednesday, Birthright’s founders, philanthropists Michael Steinhardt and Charles Bronfman, met the milestone trip participant, 24-year-old
Jewish news briefs: June 11, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Speaking on Tuesday night to introduce his forthcoming book, Not in God’s Name, Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of modern Orthodoxy in Britain, argued that sibling rivalry is a fundamental cause of violence, also in religion. The Book of Genesis offers many telling instances – beginning with Cain’s
Sibling rivalry: why religious groups fight each other? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sometimes, if you smash two stories together, you end up with something interesting; sometimes you get something worrisome. This is one of the latter. The first story is about France, a member of the P5+1 negotiating a deal with Iran on nuclear capabilities. The French government has expressed increasing
France, U.S. horse- trading over Israel’s security? Read More »
International, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA