By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — A reminder to the administration: the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend. The friend of my friend is not necessarily my friend. And the friend of my enemy is not necessarily my enemy, but he may be not by my friend, either. Friends, in fact, are […]
No friends for U.S. in Syrian civil war Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Bruce Kesler ENCINITAS, California — A recent study entitled Israel and the Campus counted a disproportionate number of anti-Israel incidents occurring on University of California and other elite campuses. It said “the most serious problem faced on campus is not from student activities, but from faculty” who “habitually abuse their academic freedom and have
UCSD’s pro-Palestinian faculty: a case study Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy Jacob Kamaras and Alina Dain Sharon/JNS.org Capping a race that on a national level was largely defined by the economy but in the Jewish community turned into an extended debate over which candidate would steer the best course for the U.S.-Israel relationship, President Barack Obama defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney to earn a
Obama re-elected; what now for U.S.-Israel relationship? Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Middle East, USABy Sean Savage/JNS.org As the conflict in Syria continues to escalate, there are growing fears of an increasing radical jihadist role in the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad’s government—complicating options for the West and presenting new threats for Israel. Syria’s beleaguered Christian community, which comprises 10 percent of the population, is witnessing the growth of
Jihadists’ rise in Syria complicates options for West Read More »
Middle EastBy Maxine Dovere/JNS.org NEW YORK—For Levana Vidal Zamir, it was a “good childhood”—until May 14, 1948. At midnight, she recalls, Egyptian officers rampaged through her family’s house and destroyed everything. They denounced her uncle as a “Zionist,” arrested him, and held him in jail for almost two years. The Egyptian government confiscated the family’s business—the
Refugee-turned-activist seeks attention for plight of Egyptian Jews Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Imagine a dance highly formalized, without emotion, between partners who don’t even like one another, never mind pleasure or lust. That’s what we’ve been seeing the last few days around an interview given by Mahmoud Abbas, a.k.a. Abu Mazan, a.k.a. President of the Palestine National Authority, but not recognized as such
Abbas interview praised by Israeli left, dismissed by right Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–Many people who read the front page of Haaretz one day last week while they were having their breakfast, including yours truly, suddenly felt sick to their stomach. In huge, black letters the main front-page headline read: ‘69% of Israelis Support Apartheid.’ The text of the article, which occupied
Debunking the Israeli apartheid myth Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Is Palestine history? That is, have its various leaders lost the opportunity to make their place name into a country? Most likely yes, but it will not disappear soon from agendas of international politics. In other words, the idea will hang on, and provide stimulus to Palestinians and others feeling
Have Palestinians lost opportunity for state of their own? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — There is concern here not only for Obama vs Romney next Tuesday, or Netanyahu vs who knows on January 22nd, but also for the more difficult choices facing French Hill in the election for a neighborhood committee (מנהלת) November 22nd. You’ve heard about a storm in a tea cup. This is a
Ultra-Orthodox culture clash factor in neighborhood elections Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Mati Tuchfeld/JNS.org The Likud Central Committee on Monday, Oct. 29, officially approved by a large majority the merger with Yisrael Beiteinu ahead of the coming Knesset election. Before the open vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the committee delegates, who had gathered at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds. In his speech, Netanyahu referred to recent assertions
Bibi: Merger with Yisrael Beiteinu won’t change Likud Read More »
Middle East
By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA–Most Americans no doubt spend little time thinking about Israel. Not that they have anything against it, but its fate is not high on their priority lists. Yet Israel figured prominently into the Oct. 22 foreign policy debate between President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Obama broached it first,
Sorting out Israel post-debate Read More »
Middle EastA mistakenly headlined pseudo-poll published by Haaretz has caused a great deal of damage outside Israel, where this farce was used to further the campaign of anti-Israel political warfare and demonization, writes NGO Monitor President Gerald M. Steinberg. By Gerald M. Steinberg/JNS.org There is now broad agreement in Israel that the pseudo-poll and headline
The Haaretz poll travesty Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The government of Israel traded 1,700 Palestinian terrorists for Sgt. Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier kidnapped and held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israelis have been known to trade live terrorists for the bodies of its soldiers held by its enemies. That’s what it means to have your soldiers’ collective back. And
Americans in Benghazi abandoned by their country Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Paul Foer and Chananette Pascal Cohen/JNS.org Sonya Loya’s path of rediscovery aligns with the journey potentially millions of other “Crypto-Jews” take back to their Jewish roots. Her story, and the stories of others with similar backgrounds, is also still unfolding—with legal action against the Catholic Church as the possible next chapter. Loya—a Hispanic-American woman
B’nei Anousim consider Spanish Inquisition lawsuits Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East