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
Israeli courts protect country’s founding values Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastEdith Windsor, whose watershed legal case resulted in US federal recognition of same-sex married couples for the first time, died Tuesday, her lawyer told AFP. She was 88 years old. The gay rights champion’s historic case led the US Supreme Court in 2013 to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denied federal
Edith Windsor, icon of marriage equality, dies at 88 Read More »
USAA 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.
German court drops case against ailing Auschwitz medic Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryFrench-Lebanese director Ziad Doueiri appeared before a military court on Monday over his filming of a movie in Israel, AFP reported. After the hearing, the court released Zoueiri and agreed to return his confiscated passports, according to the report. The 54-year-old was briefly detained on Sunday night after arriving in Lebanon to premiere his new
Lebanese film director detained for filming in Israel Read More »
Middle East, Theatre, Film & BroadcastThe Israeli Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down military draft exemptions for Jewish seminary students, enraging the small but powerful ultra-Orthodox community. Court documents seen by AFP showed a panel of nine justices agreed that a 2015 amendment to the law on military service treated the students more generously than their secular compatriots. “All the
Israel court says ultra-Orthodox must obey army draft Read More »
Middle East[youtube:2032732] Israeli Prime Minister met with leaders of the Jewish community in Argentina Tuesday, as part of his historic visit to Latin America, the first ever by a sitting Israeli premier. Netanyahu addressed Israel’s military might, its technological and economic strength, and said that its status as a haven for the Jews has changed the
‘Our strength is derived from our spiritual power’ Read More »
International, Middle EastNorth Korea Tuesday condemned “vicious” new UN sanctions imposed over its sixth and largest nuclear test, warning it would make the US “suffer the greatest pain” it has ever experienced. The new sanctions imposed unanimously by the UN Security Council Monday ban North Korean textile exports and restrict shipments of oil products. The resolution, passed
North Korea says will make US suffer over ‘vicious’ UN sanctions Read More »
International, USAST JOHN, U.S. Virgin Islands—As Hurricane Irma bore down on the Caribbean last week, Laurel Brannick, a park ranger on far-flung St. John Island, flipped through news channels to see how she might be affected. It appeared the U.S. Virgin Islands didn’t exist. “The weather channels didn’t even include us,” she said. “All they kept
Hard-hit Virgin Islands residents feel like ‘bastard step-children’ of US after Irma Read More »
USABob Feferman Wiki Commons Over the past months, while the western media has been obsessed with the latest tweet of President Donald Trump, there have been disturbing developments in the Middle East. Storm clouds are gathering on Israel’s horizon that will one day pose a grave danger to the security of Israel. In a speech
The gathering storm on Israel’s northern borders Read More »
Middle East, USANEW YORK — Hillary Clinton, who spent decades on the public stage in a myriad of roles and changing personas, emerged Tuesday in a new one: ghost from the political past. The reception was decidedly mixed. On the day marking publication of her latest memoir, the former first lady, U.S. senator, secretary of state, two-time
A Republican senator introduced legislation Tuesday to cut down on the amount of money ex-presidents siphon from taxpayers, looking to limit their pensions and office expenses. Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican, said that while presidents should keep getting taxpayer-funded security details, they don’t need the more than $1 million in pensions and office equipment that
GOP senator demands cap on ex-presidents’ payments Read More »
USASen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee WASHINGTON: As Sen. John McCain of Arizona readies for what is almost certainly the last battle of his illustrious life, he appears to be casting aside tactical political positions and striking for the heart of what he believes best for the country. He did
Mattis, McCain Battle CR; McCain Battles Cancer Read More »
USAFrench President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Guadeloupe on Tuesday before travelling on to Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy to inspect storm damage and relief operations as his government comes under fire for its handling of Hurricane Irma. “We have ordered one of the largest air lifts [of aid] since World War II,” Macron said upon
Under fire for storm response, Macron arrives in hurricane-hit French islands Read More »
InternationalWASHINGTON — After a spokeswoman initially suggested his Twitter account had been hacked, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says a staffer is to blame for an “inadvertent” like of a pornography video on his social media account late Monday. “It was a staffing issue and it was inadvertent. It was a mistake,” Cruz told reporters at
Porn video gets a like from Ted Cruz’s Twitter account Read More »
USA