Middle East

By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO–The news that Israel’s Knesset is considering a new “Basic Law” purifying what makes the nation a Jewish state is both disheartening and bewildering. The proposed twelfth Basic Law, filed in recent weeks, collects all the basic elements of Israeli society—including its Hebrew language, national anthem, banner, and calendar—concretizing all […]

By David Bramzon LA JOLLA, California — Israel’s Consul General David Siegel addressed a large gathering at Congregation Beth El on Saturday, Sept. 10, during morning services. He was invited to speak on behalf of the San Diego Israel Advocacy Leadership Forum; a coalition of 15 non-profit organizations that have Israel education or advocacy as

By Ehud Eilam, PhD WASHINGTON, D.C. — States are evaluated through many parameters, the economic factor being a major one. Thus, the Palestinian Authority (PA) – judged by its economic progress in recent years – is almost a state, while Afghanistan is barely one. Another major criterion for assessing a state is its national security.

SDJW staff report SAN DIEGO — Sylvia Rouss, famous for her ‘Sammy the Spider’ series of Jewish books for children, has co-authored a new book with former Israeli ambassador Asher Naim, entitled “Jognau, the Dreamer.” It is about the migration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, as told by one of the young immigrants. In an

Editor’s Note:  The president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, Steven J. Morris, on Friday sent out the following message to the community regarding renewed violence along Israel’s borders with Gaza and Egypt.  Sha’ar Hanegev, the partnership region of the San Diego Federation, lies alongside Gaza in Israel’s northern

By Roz Rothstein and Roberta Seid LOS ANGELES — The recent coordinated terrorist attacks on Israel and the latest poll of Palestinian public opinion offer insight into why Middle East peace remains so elusive: The Palestinian public is simply unwilling to recognize the human rights of Jews. Consider Palestinians’ reactions to the grisly coordinated attacks

By Sasha Ben-Ari JERUSALEM–The summer of 2011 marks twenty years since the fall of  the Soviet Union and the beginning of a new era for Russian Jewry.  For pain-filled decades, this was a population discriminated against, both in the  practice of their religion and in pursuing educational and professional opportunities. Two decades later, the situation

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) on Monday called  upon the White House to communicate its expectation that Egypt’s ruling Supreme  Military Council will act to secure the Sinai border with Israel and act to curb  attacks on the pipeline supplying Israel and Jordan with natural gas. JINSA Executive Director Tom Neumann