SAN DIEGO — The following offer from Jewish National Fund to plant for free a tree in Israel in honor of Galid Shalit’s release was received Tuesday morning, October 18, at San Diego Jewish World, and verified by telephone with the public relations department of JNF in New York City: Plant a tree for FREE
Plant a Tree for free for Gilad Shalit Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–As I am beginning this column, it is 6 AM and the radio is reporting the many details of the transfer of prisoners toward their exchange for Gilad Shalit. It is not the excitement that put me to work this early. Generally my old bones achieve the rest they need earlier than
Questions remain as prisoner transfer begins Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Lillian Faderman and Roz Rothstein LOS ANGELES -Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas formally asked the United Nations on September 23 to recognize a Palestinian state. And on September 28 the application was passed to a standing committee that must now review whether to return to the pre-1967 borders. Abbas’s bid doesn’t just violate past
New Palestinian state would be anti-Semitic and homophobic Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur TORONTO, Canada — The most cited call for Jewish survival after the Holocaust came from Canada. The late Emil Fackenheim, University of Toronto philosophy professor, argued that the tragedy the Nazis inflicted on the Jewish people had given rise to a new commandment to be added to the biblical 10: in
Jewish survival depends on Israel’s Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A headline in today’s Ha’aretz, “From New York to Tokyo, demonstrations in more than 900 cities and 80 countries against capitalism and in behalf of social reform. In Tel Aviv they blocked streets.” Another item reports that a Reuters survey in the United States found 38 percent viewing the demonstrations
Changing the system requires agreed-upon goals Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — For the last several years we have included in every daily minyan, Shabbat, and holiday service a prayer for the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and the captured American soldier, Bowe Bergdahl. At the conclusion of this morning’s service I announced that, God willing, soon we will no
Misgivings abound over prisoner swap with Hamas Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO –He is ever so slight, frail-looking, and, in many ways, the physical antithesis of the perceived, muscular modern Israeli soldier. In fact, Israel Defense Forces originally labeled him almost too delicate a young man to even be inducted into its lauded Army, someone with “a low medical profile.” But
Shalit personifies adage ‘Save a single life, and you save the whole world.’ Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — I told you so. A short while after finishing my column on politics (Every day you may have to eat –), Israel’s leadership proved it was up to the task. In a dramatic announcement timed for the evening news, including an on-camera announcement by the prime minister, we heard the
Shalit exchange required both sides to compromise Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM–Very distressing to see the singing and dancing going on at the Shalit tent outside Netanyahu’s office a few blocks away from here as the announcement that Israel had agreed to release more than a thousand terrorists, including hundreds who were serving life sentences for terror attacks such as the Sbarro
Will Shalit-for-1000 trade bring more terror? Read More »
Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) – The Jewish Federations of North America heralded the announcement on Tuesday of the potentially impending release of Israel Defense Forces Corporal Gilad Shalit after more than five years in Hamas captivity. According to Israeli and U.S. media reports, Shalit will be freed in a prisoner exchange that will bring his
Potential release of Gilad Shalit hailed Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There are several ways of describing the essence of politics. All of them mean pretty much the same thing: Go along in order to get along Compromise Recognize your limits One who demands too much may end up with nothing There is no absolute justice Justifications for one or another demand are
By overdemanding, Palestinians removed their goals from serious consideration Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Dr. Ehud Eilam WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two intertwined problems confront Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces: the deteriorating economy and the looming elections. The military has always been the dominant actor in Egypt since the July 1952 overthrow of King Farouk and the termination of the constitutional monarchy. After then, every president
To preserve internal power, Egyptian military may seek confrontation with Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The New Year has begun and Yom Kippur is behind us. Two prominent issues wait for treatment: peace with the Palestinians and a response to domestic social protest. The Prime Minister says that he is working hard to achieve both goals. Optimists are asking themselves if they can expect decisive
As Yom Kippur ends, social protest and peace with Palestinians return to fore Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (JINSA)–Bellicose threats directed at Israel by the Turkish government delivered over the past two months are extremely disturbing and demand an American response. Never before in the history of the alliance has a NATO member used such strident and threatening language at a fellow democratic country. This is in addition to nine years
Turkey is not just Israel’s problem; it’s the West’s Read More »
Middle East