Middle East

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Pesach is one of those occasions in the Jewish calendar when Hallel (Psalms 113-118) is recited. One of the verses that often are, alas, very topical in Israel reads “All the nations surround me…” While life in Israel seems almost idyllic during this holy/holiday season, life across Israel’s borders is anything

By Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Apparently lists of VIPs attract a lot of readers; that’s why they’re so common in publications and blogs. No country, no walk of life and no profession remain unrated. Even rabbis: in the last few days alone I’ve read two lists telling me who’re the most influential and/or “spiritual” of my professional

By J.Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — Now that President Obama has come and gone, Israel’s new Knesset will get down to business.The question in my mind  is will Yair Lapid, the new flag bearer of the middle class, succeed in  his bold program or will he follow the example of his predecessors,  Shinui and Kadima,

By Maxine Dovere/JNS.org NEW YORK—Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai recently came to New York City to talk about his city of sun, sand, skyscrapers, and start-ups. With “just two minutes” on a winter afternoon to introduce the city and its entrepreneurs, he began his presentation with a weather report. Noting the damp, cold conditions, Huldai

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Turkey’s response to Israel’s apology over the Mavi Marmara incident some three years ago was swift and remarkably enthusiastic. Israel is likely to be less pleased, but apparently Prime Minister Netanyahu realized that President Obama deserved a parting gift, and so he made the call to Prime Minister Erdogan.

By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — For most of Jewish history, we have been getting what we did not deserve. The people who gave the world the God-concept and the scriptural tradition, which inspired old tribes to cease sacrificing human beings in order to gratify their spooky deities, have been reviled. The Jews, who

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — What would be the relationship between Israel and the Palestinian Authority today, had Obama made the speech he now made in Jerusalem at the beginning of his first four-year term as president rather than at the beginning of the second? Not only would much of the allegedly toxic atmosphere

Here is the text of President Barack Obama‘s address Thursday at the Jerusalem Convention Center, as prepared for delivery  (and below that are his comments in Ramalah, Palestine Authority, with PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Remarks of President Barack Obama To the People of Israel Jerusalem Convention Center March 21, 2013 Shalom. It is an honor

By Yaakov Lappin   JINSA Visiting Fellow  U.S. President Barack Obama is in Israel today on for his first state visit here. He will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss three core strategic security issues. The first issue will undoubtedly be Iran’s nuclear program, an issue that dwarfs all others in terms of

By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — President Obama is only the fifth sitting US President to visit Israel and like his predecessor, George W. Bush, waited until after the first term to make such a visit.   Major diplomatic announcements or breakthroughs are not expected in any of the stops – to Israel, the West Bank or Jordan.