War and peace. The line between the two is often razor-thin. For people caught up in conflicts, war does not begin with a single shot, or end with the signing of a treaty. It is a continuum that may start with sporadic hostilities and end only after generations. In this year’s Hot Docs film festival, […]
Hot Docs: Five stories of endless war Read More »
International, Middle East, Theatre, Film & BroadcastKeeping track of Israel’s friends in the Western Pacific: Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau Sydney (dpa) – A female asylum seeker set herself on fire in the Australian-run immigration detention centre on Nauru just days after another refugee died from self-immolation, news reports said Monday. The 21-year-old Somali woman suffered critical injuries and was being
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InternationalThe World Jewish Congress on Monday accused the German unit of YouTube of failing to stop neo-Nazis from using the online video channel to distribute thousands of anti-Semitic tracks. The WJC sent Philipp Justus, the managing director of the German unit of YouTube”s parent company, Google, a letter demanding more decisive action to take down
WJC hits Youtube German office over hate videos Read More »
InternationalTel Aviv (dpa) – Fifty Holocaust survivors who never got to celebrate their Jewish coming-of-age ritual because of the horrors of World War II got a chance to do so Monday in Jerusalem. The bat mitzvah and bar mitzvah – the first for girls, the second for boys – is typically performed when the child
Belated b’nai mitzvahs at Kotel for Shoah survivors Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastDeputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Yehiel “Hillik” Bar (Zionist Union) visited Poland last week, after a town square was named after his maternal family. The main square of the small picturesque village of Skulsk in Poland was renamed the ‘Kotowski Sqaure’ this week, in a special ceremony Bar attended with other dignitaries. Bar’s grandfather,
Poland: Town square named for Israeli MK’s family Read More »
International, Middle EastA senior Likud official has revealed the details of alleged secret talks between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the opposition Zionist Union faction, in anticipation of the left-wing party joining the coalition government. A report in the Haaretz paper Sunday cited the unnamed, “knowledgeable” source, detailing the clear conditions outlined for an expanded unity government.
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Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– In response to numerous anti-LGBT laws being introduced, and in many cases passed, at the state-level, the leadership of the Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the North American Federation of Temple Youth issued the following statement: “As leaders
Reform Jews protest anti- LGBT laws in various states Read More »
USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The Triguboff Institute, established by an Australian philanthropist, specializes in the needs of Jews from the former Soviet Union, notably Russia and Ukraine. The fact that perhaps as many as 400 000 Israeli citizens of Russian and Ukrainian background aren’t regarded as Jews by the state’s rabbinic establishment has prompted
Orthodox intolerance helps grow Reform in Israel Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastHamas man allegedly received $2,000 monthly salary for operating terror tunnel (JNS.org) Suspected Hamas terrorist operative Medhat Abu Sneima was indicted in Beersheba on Sunday for crimes including plans to attack Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border. Abu Sneima, 24, from Gaza, was arrested last month. According to the indictment, which lists 18 charges,
Middle East Roundup: May 2, 2016 Read More »
Middle East
Story by Donald H. Harrison; photos by Shor Masori SAN DIEGO – Israel’s consul general for New York, Ido Aharoni, told a San Diego gathering of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) on Sunday, May 1, that arguing with the supporters of BDS is a sterile exercise, not likely to influence the 95 percent of the
Aharoni: Arguing with BDS supporters wastes time Read More »
Middle East, San Diego County, USA
By Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE — The ESRA organization for English speakers (esra.org.il) had a beautiful hike in Ramat (hills of) Menashe during the intermediate days of Passover. This is one of the two regions of the Land of Israel in which the ancient tribe of Menashe resided. (The other area is located in the
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Middle East, Steve KramerBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Every government in Israel, irrespective of ideological orientation, has declared its commitment to peace with the Palestinians. But peace comes at a cost: the Hebrew word leshalem (to pay) has the same root as the word shalom. Israel’s cost of peace with the Palestinians would inevitably entail giving up
The French initiative and Israel’s shaky coalition Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Campaigning does not bring out the best. There is much said and written by candidates, their supporters, opponents, and commentators. Who knows what is important, crucial, and trivial, when all fabricate, dissemble, obfuscate, temporize, and lie, and much of what the victors actually do will depend on details that develop
Politicians the world over Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, USA
When cruise ships dock at Ashdod, and passengers disembark for a look at Israel’s fifth largest city, their first stop is often Yona’s Hill (Givat Yona). For it is on Givat Yona, today the site of a delightful overlook, that the prophet Jonah was buried well over two thousand years ago. True, tradition places his
Ashdod has witnessed Israel’s history since Jonah Read More »
Middle East