By Michael Freund PALERMO, Italy — Something extraordinary is happening in Palermo, the capital of Sicily. More than five centuries after the forced conversion to Catholicism of large numbers of Sicilian Jews, followed by the expulsion of the rest, a nascent rebirth is well underway, as growing numbers of Sicily’s Bnei Anousim (whom historians refer […]
Jewish life reborn in Sicily Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Police state? Not quite. But it’s best to behave yourself hereabouts. A while ago the stories were about Shin Bet interrogators who had tortured Jewish youths accused of burning an Arab home in the West Bank, killing three members of a family, and other crimes. Relatives and other supporters of the accused
Police must strike delicate balance in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastIsraeli Foreign Ministry’s ex-director slammed over push for pressure on Israel (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Former Israeli Foreign Ministry director general Alon Liel was slammed over his push for international institutions—including the United Nations and FIFA (world soccer’s governing body)—to put more pressure on Israel. “Alon Liel served for many years in senior roles in
Middle East Roundup: January 14, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — In January, 2016, a group of emergency relief experts from Indonesia joined their counterparts from India and Sri Lanka in a six day disaster and emergency education seminar in Israel This is part of a major new initiative between the Jewish state and Muslim-majority states outside the Middle East. Organized
Israel’s high- tech success trumps political barriers Read More »
Barry Shaw, International, Middle East
NEW DELHI (AJC)–Indian soldier and statesman Lt. Gen. (ret.) J.F.R. Jacob, 92, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, in New Delhi. He was for decades the most prominent member of his country’s Jewish community, whose remarkable life included service in World War II in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and command of India’s Eastern Army during
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International, Obituaries & memorialsBy Kenneth Bandler NEW YORK– An AJC leadership delegation has concluded visits to Lithuania and Estonia. The seven-member group, led by AJC Chief Executive Officer David Harris and including lay and staff leaders, had meetings with Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, and Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius. The delegation also met with U.S.
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International, USAMarseille Jewish leader: avoid wearing kippah due to terror threats (JNS.org) The head of the Jewish community in the southern French city of Marseille has urged local Jews to avoid wearing a kippah in public, a day after an attack on a Jewish teacher by an Islamic State-inspired Muslim. “Not wearing the kippah can save
European & U.S. Jewish news: January 13, 2016 Read More »
International, USANazi graffiti spray-painted on historic Tel Aviv synagogue (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israeli police launched an investigation after a Tel Aviv synagogue’s wall was spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti on Tuesday. The Chelouche Synagogue, which is part of a historic landmark in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek neighborhood, has served as a prayer facility since the time
Middle East Roundup: January 13, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (SDJW)–Following is the text of President Obama’s final State of the Union message as released by the White House. It was delivered on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, before a Joint Session of Congress: By President Barack Obama Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans: Tonight marks the eighth year
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USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — In one of the episodes of the TV drama, Homeland, a CIA operative reports to a meeting of senior officers about his experience in Syria. The discussion proceeds something like this. There are too many militias to count, and more than a few considered important. The US has no strategy guiding
Can radical Islam be defeated or moderated? Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAIsraeli justice minister slams U.S. intervention in ‘internal legislation’ (JNS.org) Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked criticized the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv’s statements voicing concern over Israel’s recently proposed NGO transparency bill, saying the Obama administration is interfering with internal Israeli legislation. The U.S. Embassy released two statements on Monday outlining U.S. Ambassador to Israel
Middle East Roundup: January 12, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Obama administration appears surprised by the sudden eruption of Saudi-Iranian hostility after the Saudi government executed Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and the Iranians responded by organizing/sponsoring/approving an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. Both sides have walked the rhetoric back just a bit in the last day
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Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USACAMERA rebuts LA Times op-ed that urged boycott of Israeli education system (JNS.org) The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) has rebutted an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times that made claims of inherent racism toward Palestinians in Israel’s educational system. The op-ed by comparative literature professor Saree Makdisi—titled “Why
Middle East Roundup: January 11, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Even those who don’t take much interest in Jewish thought probably know of the late Emil Fackenheim’s 11th (or 614th) commandment that all Jews must observe: to survive and not give Hitler a posthumous history. The State of Israel was for him the best, perhaps the only, guarantor of Jewish survival.
Jews must cry with one eye, laugh with the other Read More »
International, Middle East