NEW YORK (Press Release) –AJC (American Jewish Committee) sharply criticized Amnesty International for its new report on Israeli military activities in the West Bank. “Sadly but tellingly, starting with the title, this Amnesty International report has all the hallmarks of those groups that excel in lambasting, with what can only be described as calculated bias, […]
AJC calls Amnesty Int’l report ‘calculated bias’ Read More »
Middle EastEditor’s Note: Here are the sections about human rights in Israel and the Territories that were part of a larger report issued on Thursday, Feb. 27, by the U.S State Department evaluating human rights issues around the world. * Israel Israel is a multiparty parliamentary democracy. Although it has no constitution, the parliament, the unicameral
State Dept. report on human rights in Israel, territories Read More »
Middle East, USAEditor’s Note: San Diego Jewish World printed a brief obituary notice about the death of Barry Rubin, whose columns we had the privilege of carrying from time to time. In this article, his colleague, Jonathan Spyer, looks back over Rubin’s career and assesses the contributions he made to Middle Eastern studies. By Jonathan Spyer HERZLIYA
In memory of Barry Rubin, scholar and journalist Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Settlers and the ultra-Orthodox are important minorities in Israeli politics. Both are somewhere on the fringe of key decision-makers, but must be taken into consideration even if not part of the A-team. There is no precise measure of either group. “Settlers” are both more and less than the people living in post-1967
Settlers, Haredim both important blocs in Israel politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister has worked hard to forge an alliance with the king of Jordan. One of the results is said to be Israel supplying water for the million Syrian refugees currently in the kingdom without which they couldn’t survive. Another is the sale of half-a-billion dollars’ worth of
Feiglin’s folly: Knesset debate on Temple Mount Read More »
Middle EastBy Aryeh Savir JERUSALEM (TNA) — Amnesty International released a report on Thursday, Feb. 27, accusing the IDF and Israeli police of being “Trigger-happy”, using “reckless force in the West Bank.” “Israeli forces have displayed a callous disregard for human life by killing dozens of Palestinian civilians, including children, in the occupied West Bank over
By Anav Silverman ABEL BETH MAACAH, Israel – A hoard of silver dating back to the time of the Biblical Exodus, was discovered by American and Israeli archaeologists last summer at Abel Beth Maacah, a 35-acre tel and the northernmost site in Israel. Among the artifacts discovered were five complete silver hoop earrings, three silver
3,200-year-old silver earrings found at dig Read More »
Middle East
By Michael Ordman NETANYA, Israel — You probably already know about the most famous of Israeli “firsts.” Such as Intel’s microchip breakthroughs, SMS technology, the digestible camera and cherry tomatoes. But every week there is news of exciting discoveries and innovations from the Jewish State. Last week, there was even more than usual. Dr. Itai
Positively Israel: February 26, 2014 Read More »
Middle East
NEW YORK (Press Release) — AJC welcomed the successful conclusion of the fifth annual Germany-Israel bilateral consultations. A large German delegation led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, including 16 Cabinet ministers, visited Israel for two days. They engaged in intense discussions on a wide range of issues with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Cabinet “The
JERUSALEM – Israel’s General Security Service (GSS) announced Monday, Feb. 24, that it has arrested 15 Arabs who were members of a Hamas terror cell that operated against civilian traffic on route 443, a major road connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The terrorists, all resident of the village of UR-Tahtah in their late twenties and
Hamas highway marauders arrested by Israelis Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM —Yesh Atid, the political party led by Yair Lapid, has tried to assert its pluralist and vaguely secular nature (despite its Members of Knesset who’re Orthodox) by promoting legislation to compel Orthodox men to serve in Israel’s army. So far, as pointed out by one of the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) parliamentarians
Why the IDF really doesn’t want Haredi soldiers Read More »
Middle East
PARAMUS, New Jersey (Press Release) – An unprecedented number of 20 dentists from around the United States who are planning to make Aliyah to Israel gathered Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, to take the Israeli Dentistry Licensing Exam, which was held for them at the Nefesh B’Nefesh (Soul by Soul) offices in Paramus, New Jersey. This
Dentists making aliyah take exam in New Jersey Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israelis have been seeking accommodation for decades, depending on when you start counting, first with Arabs and later with Palestinians. It is common, and perhaps justified, for Israelis and our friends to blame the Arabs for intransigence as well as violence. That is a cultural perspective, one that sees Israelis with
Muslims, Jews see the world differently Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM–The town hall meeting, unique to New England’s traditional style of local citizen governance, made its way to Jerusalem when two US Congressmen visited Israel’s capital to discuss ‘local’ issues with U.S. citizens recently. U.S. Congressmen Bill Johnson (R-OH) and David McKinley (R-WV) took part in a historic town hall meeting with
2 U.S. Reps. hold Town Hall in Israel Read More »
Middle East