By 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, USABy J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — This column is being written on June the 7th, the 48th anniversary of the beginning of the Six Day War which resulted in the occupation of the West Bank in Gaza. June the 7th was a day I will never forget. I was never so scared from
Peace- seekers: Reject BDS, seek end of occupation Read More »
Middle East
By Anav Silverman RAMAT GAN, Israel — An honorary Commander of the British Empire in the name of Queen Elizabeth II was conferred upon the President of Ben Gurion University, Professor Rivka Carmi yesterday. Carmi was honored by Buckingham Palace for her significant work in deepening academic and scientific links between the United Kingdom and
Ben Gurion president honored by Queen Elizabeth Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationIsrael may nix funding for theater over Arab actor’s Jordan Valley boycott (JNS.org) Israeli Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev issued a strong rebuke of Arab-Israeli actor Norman Issa on Tuesday after Israel Hayom reported that he was unwilling to join his fellow cast members in the play Boomerang when they perform in the Jordan Valley.
Jewish news briefs: June 10, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — In the background of this column is the recent one about the misadventures of great powers, and producing unintended outcomes. It could have employed Barbara Tuchman’s title, The March of Folly. Here the focus is on the diplomatic maneuvers, proclamations, politely announced policy preferences, along with the yelling, screaming and chanting
Besides all the rhetoric, Israel faring well Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAHosting Czech FM, Netanyahu says Palestinians set ‘perfect trap’ on peace talks (JNS.org) The Palestinian Authority rejects peace talks with Israel and then tries to get boycotts imposed on the Jewish state over the absence of peace talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told visiting Czech Republic Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek in Jerusalem on Monday, calling
Jewish news briefs: June 9, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — President Reuven Rivlin has important things to say about many issues, e.g., the rights of Israel’s Arab citizens and the problem with haredi schools that don’t teach the basic curriculum and thus render their graduates unproductive and unemployable. But he has a blind spot about Reform and Conservative Judaism. Thus
President Rivlin snubs non- Orthodox movements Read More »
Middle East, USABy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Helena Kagan was born in 1889 in Uzbekistan, where her father, who was originally from Lithuania, had been sent as a chemical engineer to establish and supervise the construction of glass-manufacturing plants there. In 1914, after qualifying as a physician, she settled in Jerusalem and was a pioneer
Kagan Center tutors needy Jerusalem students Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education