By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The day after it was announced that Israelis will go to the polls on April 9, a headline in the Times of Israel read: “Early election timing likely more to do with graft-dodging than draft-dodging.” Though the formal reason for holding the election ahead of time was that the coalition […]
Who will oppose Netanyahu in April 9 election? Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM (Press Release) — The annual debate in Israel about the placement of Christmas trees in malls or hotels – this year in Ashdod – shouldn`t fool anyone. For most Israeli Jews, the holiday season is celebrated in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, not in December. For a significant majority of Israeli Jews (78%), December
Most Israelis indifferent to secular New Year Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Middle East
By Debra Shushan, PhD WASHINGTON, D.C.. — As part of a group of non-Israeli academics assembled by Tel Aviv University, I visited the Temple Mount in July 2017. On the next day, two Israeli border police officers were shot there in a terror attack. I had the opportunity to make a condolence visit to Hurfeish,
The making of a peace activist Read More »
Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — A court of law in Israel may soon have to decide whether to call someone Reform is an insult. Adina Bar Shalom – the daughter of the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, the sister of the current incumbent of that office and the wife of a prominent Tel
Some in Israel consider the term ‘Reform’ an insult Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastDonorBox removes BDS funding campaign from its site Shurat HaDin announced it has “achieved another important legal victory against the BDS movement as we finish the year! We managed to shut down a vital crowdfunding channel for the central boycott organization, the BDS National Committee (BNC), located in Ramallah. Last week, we sent urgent cease
Editor’s E-Mail Box: December 24, 2018 (3 items) Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — About 21 percent of Israel’s population is Arab, and about 65 percent of its murders occur within the Arab population. Some 96 percent of the Arab population is Muslim, and only 4 percent Christian. Christians have, for the most part left, with some of those remaining having housing and education
A glimpse into Arab life in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy H. Applebaum -Second in a Series- SAN DIEGO — If you happen to be Jewish, it’s not just the big things like having to walk by the anti-Israel ‘Apartheid Wall’ every year, or the burning of the Israeli flag, or having the mayor of Jerusalem shouted down as the university chancellor cites freedom of speech.
Anti- Semitism on campus ~ the Jewish response Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy Itamar Marcus and Maurice Hirsch (From Palestinian Media Watch) JERUSALEM — After 12 years, during which the Palestinian Parliament (Legislative Council, PLC) has not met, Mahmoud Abbas suddenly announced on Saturday, that the Palestinian Constitutional Court had dissolved the PA parliament: Abbas: “The [PA] Parliament (Legislative Council), which has not been active for 12
Why Abbas disbanded the Palestinian parliament Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –Trump supporters in Israel seem to have gone silent after his announcement that he’s bringing home the remaining 2,200 American soldiers in Syria which will give Iran a freer hand to attack us here, either directly or by its proxies. All that Trump’s great fan, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, could
War on Israel’s Syrian front more likely with U.S. pullout Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
Orthodox Jewish groups support Latin Cross on public property in Maryland In a friend-of-the-court brief filed today with the US Supreme Court, national Orthodox Jewish organizations defended the constitutionality of a governmental war memorial in the shape of a large Latin cross by citing and explaining six historic rabbinic rulings issued between the 13th and
Editor’s E-Mail Box: December 21, 2018 (4 items) Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the midst of the Vietnam War, Sen. George Aiken is reported to have said, “Let’s just declare victory and get out.” In October, President Donald Trump did “declare victory” over ISIS. “I want to get out,” the president said. “I want to bring our troops back home. I want to start rebuilding
Pullout from Syria gives Iran freer hand in Mideast Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
By Mimi Pollack LA JOLLA, California — As an ESL teacher who has worked for 35 years with people from all over the world, I was very interested in going to see the presentation at the Gotthelf Gallery at the JCC last Monday evening on December 17th. First, there was the presentation by civil rights attorney
Yes, Virginia, there are Jews there too Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Mimi Pollack, San Diego CountyBy Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Holocaust Survivors are our Greatest Generation. Their resilience and immigrant contribution to American life is formidable and compelling. The Bay Area is home to between 210,000, and 350,000 Jews. During 2018, the biweekly J of Northern California published 135 obituaries, 72 men and 63 women, ages 30 to
Obituaries and the Greatest Generation Read More »
International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, Oliver Pollak, USABy Alon Ben-Meir NEW YORK — Trump’s decision to withdraw US forces from Syria is extremely reckless and is bound to backfire in more than one way. To make such a decision, which has major implications that directly and adversely affect our allies in and outside the region, through a simple tweet and against the
Trump’s Syria withdrawal will hurt several allies Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East, USA