Report: Obama seeks to bypass Congress, suspend Iran sanctions (JNS.org) President Barack Obama “will do everything in his power” to prevent Congress from voting on a nuclear agreement with Iran if one is reached by the Nov. 24 deadline, The New York Times reported Monday. “Even while negotiators argue over the number of centrifuges Iran […]
JNS news briefs: October 21, 2014 Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –You know the fog of battle, when the smoke, noise, and panic are so heavy as to confuse one’s views about what is happening, and which side has an advantage. Politics isn’t all that different. In this case, the fog is not so much the result of smoke as of confusing
Multiple events cloud Mideast forecasting Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The German Templers were part of the ‘Christian Zionism’ movement whereby the European powers sought to establish their presence in the Holy Land after 1840. Following their charismatic leader, Christian Hoffman, these adherents of the German Lutheran church, primarily in Wurtemberg, established settlements in Jerusalem, Haifa, Galilee and
Templers, Germans and Nazis Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle EastU.S. denies it prevented FBI from aiding search for Israeli soldier (JNS.org) A U.S. official denied a report published by Israel Hayom that the U.S. prevented the FBI from aiding Israel in the search for IDF soldier Oron Shaul, who was initially feared kidnapped during Operation Protective Edge. Shaul was later deemed to be killed
JNS news briefs: October 20, 2014 Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Two chemical weapons-related stories this week should be considered separate, not necessarily interchangeable, parts of a whole. The first was that ISIS had used chemical weapons against Kurdish forces in Kobani, raising the question of where ISIS would have acquired such weapons. The second, in the New York Times, detailed
ISIS chem weapons may be from Syria Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
JERUSALEM (Press Release)–The Helmsley Charitable Trust has announced more than $9.6 million dollars in grants to four Israeli institutions. These grants are part of a continuing effort to invest in Israel’s leading institutions and critical initiatives toward the goal of strengthening Israel as a successful and secure nation. Since the Helmsley Charitable Trust began awarding
4 Israeli institutions receive cash awards Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (TNA) — A new poll conducted from October 12-14, shows that a majority of Israeli Jews oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders and oppose withdrawing from the Jordan Valley as well as the division of Jerusalem. According to a poll conducted last week by the Shivukim-Panorama
Poll: Israelis oppose territorial concession Read More »
Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) In advance of the opening of “The Death of Klinghoffer” at the Metropolitan Opera on Monday night, Oct. 19, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a statement by Lisa and Ilsa Klinghoffer, the daughters of Leon Klinghoffer, which will be featured in the playbill. Following is the full text of the statement: Twenty nine years
Daughters rue opera about terror victim Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, USA
By Tzvi Zucker JERUSALEM (TNA) –The phenomenon of Western Muslim citizens traveling from their home countries in the West to fight for ISIS in Syria and Iraq has been widely reported on. Israel is now seeing this phenomenon with its citizens, as there are over 30 Israeli Arab citizens having joined ISIS according to
Israel keeps watch on home- grown ISIS members Read More »
Middle EastBy Lloyd Levy EILAT, Israel –While soaking up the sun in Eilat ( 100F. this week), my body was idle but my mind was still ticking over. I had a Damascene revelation, on this ancient road from Cairo to Damascus. The symbolism of Eilat’s location occurred to me. It is at the head of a
Will Palestinians join ISIS caliphate? Read More »
Lloyd Levy, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Israel’s three week holiday season from Rosh Hashana through Simcha Torah resembles the shorter period in western countries from Christmas through New Years. The western holiday is actually longer than a week, due to pre-Christmas work, school, and bar parties, and time in early January for sobering up. What is common to
As holidays end, Israeli politics gear back up Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — While visiting cousins in Philadelphia last weekend, I mentioned I was a big fan of Homeland and wondered if they liked it too. They replied affirmatively, but questioned whether counterterrorism was conducted as brutally and unscrupulously as portrayed in the series. By coincidence I had a preview link for
The Wandering Review: ‘The Green Prince’ Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Islam is a problem for the faithful, as well as for the rest of us. Its 1600 years of accumulated doctrines may not differ in essence from what Jews have accumulated in 2,500 years or Christians in 2100 years. What is problematic, however, are all those Muslims stuck in a
Intra- Muslim rivalries hamper Palestinian statehood Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — On Monday, October 13, the British Parliament overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution to give diplomatic recognition to a Palestinian state. The New York Times reported that, “The vote was a symbolic but potent indication of how public opinion has shifted since the breakdown of American-sponsored peace negotiations and
Britain, Sweden pile on Israel Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA