JERUSALEM (WJC) — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again defended the raid by Israel’s Navy on the Gaza-bound ‘Freedom Flotilla’ on 31 May 2010, during which nine Turkish activists on board the ‘Marmara’ were killed. Netanyahu told the Turkel Commission – a panel investigating raid – that Israel’s actions were justified. The flotilla was […]
Israel commission hears Netanyahu in Gaza Flotilla inquiry Read More »
Middle EastMARMANDE, France (WJC)–A monument to the victims of World War II in south-western France has been spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti. French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux expressed “horror and sadness” after the discovery of anti-Jewish slogans and symbols at a memorial to the deportation and resistance in Marmande, in the Lot-et-Garonne department. The words ‘lies’, ‘Zionism’,
French monument defaced by anti-Semites Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Some basic definitions useful for living in civilized societies and on their fringe: A scapegoat is an individual or group blamed for faults properly due to some other individual or group. Scapegoating is a way to pass on responsibilities for offenses real or imaginary. A minority is often chosen as a scapegoat,
Commentary: Scapegoating versus politics in the Middle East Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
Compiled by San Diego Jewish World staff Free Jewish Press Makes Better Jewish Community Southwestern Jewish Press, November 26, 1954, Page 5 (Jewish Communal Leader in Los Angeles) It is not enough for the Jewish business or community leader to insert an occasional “greeting” in the independent Jewish newspaper. They must, instead, recognize their economic
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History, November 26, 1954, Part 3 Read More »
Adventures in SD History, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Two items came to my mailbox this morning. One is another demand from a well-intentioned innocent in Olympia that I butt out of the issue about the Food Coop’s boycott of Israel. This friend is a political maven who seems to be operating according to the Introduction to Political Science he
Commentary: American 'liberals' supporting Palestine miss the point Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO –The case for or against the building of the Cordoba Center (named after one of the largest and most murderous conquests in Muslim history—the 8th century establishment of the Cordoba Caliphate and the attendant genocide of Christians and Jews) roils New Yorkers and Americans alike. Left-righteous voices such as
Why this rabbi opposes a mosque near Ground Zero Read More »
Middle East, USABy Morton A. Klein and Dr. Daniel Mandel NEW YORK — Last week, a small item of news shed piercing light on the reason for the intractability of the Arab war on Israel. The well-known 1970s disco group, Boney M, invited by the Palestine International Festival to give a concert in Palestinian Authority (PA)-controlled Ramallah,
Commentary: PA's editing of Boney M's songlist epitomizes effort to erase Jewish history Read More »
Middle East, USASTOCKHOLM (WJC)– Pro-Palestinian activists of the Ship to Gaza group who took part in the flotilla at the end of May have announced they would make a new attempt to reach the Gaza Strip before the end of 2010. “We are going to send a flotilla if the siege is not lifted,” spokesman Dror Feiler told
Pro-Palestinians in Sweden plan another Gaza flotilla Read More »
Middle EastNAKOURA CROSSING, Israel-Lebanon Border (WJC)–The peacekeeping force of the United Nations in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) has confirmed that Israeli forces were pruning trees located on Israeli territory before an exchange of fire with Lebanese troops. An UNIFIL statement largely vindicated Israel’s account of how the fighting, in which one Israeli and two Lebanese soldiers as
U.N. investigators say Lebanon at fault in cross-border firefight with Israel Read More »
Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The New York Times headlines its article about a recent Israeli government decision dealing with the children of illegal immigrants, “Israelis Divided on Deporting Children.” Its first paragraph claims that “Deep divisions emerged here on Monday over the fate of about 400 children of foreign workers who have no legal status
Commentary: Israelis divided on fate of children of foreign workers Read More »
Middle East, USAJERUSALEM (WJC)–Lebanese and Israeli troops exchanged fire on the border on Tuesday, leaving three soldiers wounded. The clashes were the most serious since the Second Lebanon War four years ago, authorities said. Israeli military spokesman Capt. Barak Raz said the fighting broke out as soldiers were on a routine patrol. He said the force was
Israeli, Lebanese troops skirmish at border Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM (WJC)–Israel’s President Shimon Peres has denied accusations that in a newspaper interview he had labeled Britons as anti-Semitic. Peres said that he believed that “relations between Britain and Israel are of the greatest importance.” The 87-year-old was quoted in an interview with ‘Tablet’ magazine as saying: “in England, there has always been something deeply
Peres says remarks critical of British were misunderstood Read More »
Middle EastCompiled by San Diego Jewish World staff Southwestern Jewish Press, August 1, 1954, Page 3 Betrothal Announced Mr. and Mrs. Leon Solomon announce the engagement of their daughter, Barbara, to Harold Hoffer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hoffer of New York City. Barbara is a graduate of UCLA and is working at present as
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History, November 12, 1954, Part 2 Read More »
Adventures in SD History, Middle EastBy Steve Hofstetter NEW YORK–The New York metro area has 2 million Jews, more than everywhere but Tel Aviv. But it’s a big drop after that. LA has 650,000. Philly, DC, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco each have about a quarter million. A few more American cities have 50,000-100,000. But when you get down to
Finding Jews in Rural America Read More »
Middle East, USA