International

Obama Leads Tributes to Edith Windsor

Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton led tributes following the death of LGBT rights campaigner Edith Windsor, 88, whose lawsuit led to the federal recognition of equal rights for same-sex couples. “America’s long journey towards equality has been guided by countless small acts of persistence, and fueled by the stubborn willingness of quiet heroes […]

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Obituaries & memorials, USA

Liberman says all must serve, amid anger over court ruling against draft dodging

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday backed a High Court ruling against draft dodging by members of the ultra-Orthodox community, saying all Israelis should serve the state, even as religious parties in the governing coalition angrily vowed to fight the move. Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top

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Middle East

Israeli envoy to preside over UN General Assembly as Netanyahu delivers speech

Israel’s envoy the United Nations Danny Danon has taken up the position of Vice President of the UN General Assembly, his bureau said Wednesday, meaning that he will preside over the assembly when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks there next week. Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top

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International, Middle East

Israeli MP quits under fire after attending gay wedding

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israeli lawmaker quit his seat on Wednesday under fire from religious colleagues and rabbis for attending a gay relative’s wedding, his daughter said. Yigal Guetta recently told a radio interviewer about the marriage of his nephew, which took place two years ago but still brought a harsh reaction from prominent rabbis, local

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

Israeli courts protect country’s founding values

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–In view of recent decisions by Israel’s Supreme Court, citizens may have a point when they ask, “Who’s really running the country, the Knesset or the Supreme Court?” Two Court decisions published earlier this week come especially to mind: the Supreme Court’s opinion that (1) the government has no right to

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

German court drops case against ailing Auschwitz medic

A German court on Tuesday said it had dropped a case against a 96-year-old former medical orderly at the Auschwitz death camp because he suffers from dementia, ending one of the last high-profile Nazi prosecutions. Wheelchair-bound Hubert Zafke had faced 3,681 counts of being an accessory to murder at the concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.

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International, Jewish History