By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israelis have no monopoly of feeling threatened. Residents of Greece, Spain, and a few other developed countries–including some from the USA–have trouble paying their bills, or looking forward to work and a vacation. Israel’s economy is in pretty good shape. Not for all Israelis, but for most. Being Jews, many […]
When violence seems always nearby Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Sandy Golden SAN DIEGO — Dalya’s Dancing, Tarbuton’s Yeladim, Yochanan’s Becko Band, and French chanteuse Chantal made the day shine even brighter this past Sunday at the annual House of Israel (HOI) Lawn Program in Balboa Park. It was a celebration of Israel and even the weather cooperated to the success of
San Diegans enjoy House of Israel lawn program Read More »
Middle East, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Travel and Food
By Jeremy Ben Ami WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of State John Kerry is back in the Middle East this week for his fourth visit in three months. And J Street’s Leadership is back in the United States after a 9-day, 8-night mission to Israel and the Palestinian territory. We met Israeli and Palestinian political and
J Street chief detects new energy in Mideast peace process Read More »
Middle EastBy Arkady Mamaysky TARRYTOWN, New York — Earlier this year on San Diego Jewish World, I presented some thoughts about how to forge closer bonds between Jews in Israel and the Diaspora to ensure that we remain a single people, rather than just coreligionists. The op-ed assumed that Israel is important, and now I would
Some reasons why the world needs Israel Read More »
Arkady Mamaysky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Newspaper estimates of the numbers taking part in recent demonstrations tell us something about the ranking of items on the agendas of various sectors. What is impressive is not the precision of such numbers, but great differences in their magnitude. On Thursday evening of last week, it was estimated that
Lapid backpedals on secular education for Haredim Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Remember the Cold War? And the crises focused on Berlin and missiles in Cuba? Could we be on the cusp of a comparable crisis focused on Syria? Among the unanswered questions is the relative weight of Israel in the thinking and threatening being done by the US and Russia. This,
Is Syria heating up the old U.S.-Russian cold war? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –The holiday of Shavuot provided a pleasant respite from the excessive excitement of this country. Instead of the usual drone of disaster and dispute in the media, there were tasty festivities heavy on cheese filled casseroles topped off with cheese cake. The relative quiet, for everything but my aging arteries, was
And now a return to regular Middle East news Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Lloyd Levy EILAT, Israel — It never ceases to amaze me how Israel almost manages to be a proverbial island of tranquility in a sea of complete turmoil. The preoccupation in Israel at the moment is the perceived extravagance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu and his wife. Apparently they had a special bed built on
Neutrality is Israel’s wisest policy in Syria Read More »
Lloyd Levy, Middle East
By Aryeh Savir JERUSALEM — In a ceremony celebrating its 150th anniversary which was named “My Honor is My Freedom,” the International Red Cross together with the Palestinian Red Crescent planted 150 trees in Jenin bearing the names of “veteran prisoners.” According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) the Palestinian Authority uses the term “veteran
IRC reportedly joins ceremony honoring terrorists Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The latest numbers about the two year old Syrian civil war are 80,000 deaths, one million refugees over the borders in Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, and a total of four million displaced Syrians either over the borders or away from their homes in Syria. As always, we must be suspicious
As Syrians kill each other, U.S., Turkey, Israel watch Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–Although I was not in Jerusalem for Jerusalem Day this year, having been called away to fulfill grandparental duties, it was very much in my thoughts. I still have a very clear memory of those six days in June, just 46 years ago, when I was only dimly able to
Israel Museum provides Christian tours for volunteers Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Netanyahu during Mr. Netanyahu’s visit to China, surely a diplomatic oddity. (Chinese Premier Li Kegiang answers the hotline in Beijing and says, “Oh, sure. Hey, Bibi, it’s for you.”) President Obama called him there as well, making Netanyahu appear to be the
Anti-Israel violence is ongoing warfare, not ‘retaliation’ Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israel’s current discussion is providing its lessons in the politics of economics and the economics of politics. Political economy is the name of the game. It is not really a discussion we are having. It’s more like simultanteous complaints, expressed as close to the top of one’s voice as appropriate
Middle Class, Haredim angered by Lapid budget Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Sahar Raz PETAH TIKVA, Israel — It is not altogether common to see a 33-year-old man walking through the streets with large quantities of children’s toys, much less one wearing a military officer’s uniform. Yet when the IDF Website met with Maj. Maor Cohen, the officer was carrying boxes of Legos – those popular
IDF ‘Lego Man’ helps ailing Israeli children Read More »
Middle East