By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Some short takes on the Middle East: 1. Undeterred by international pressures and internal opposition, the Iranian government is cutting subsidies to essential goods that have cost a lot and eaten up capital that might have been used for investment and development. Remarks: So President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to […]
Some short takes on the Middle East Read More »
Middle East, USANEW YORK (WJC)–The prominent US Republican politician Sarah Palin has defended her reference to “blood libel” that aroused controversy last week when she used the term to condemn links between her fiery rhetoric and the deadly Arizona shootings. “Blood libel obviously means being falsely accused of having blood on your hands. In this case, that’s
Palin defends her use of ‘blood libel’ in Tucson shooting reaction Read More »
USAWASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-California) introduced legislation on Tuesday to protect Members of Congress and their constituents from potentially violent situations at scheduled events where an elected representative is engaging in official acts, representational duties, or campaign activity. Specifically, the “Freedom to Serve Without Fear” Act, would make it unlawful for any person to knowingly
Bill would declare ‘no-gun zone’ in 100-foot perimeter around members of Congress Read More »
USANEW YORK — The 2nd Circuit U.S. Appeals Court has set aside the conviction on one count of a father who sexually abused his teenage daughter before and after a flight between Belgium and Israel, saying that the United States had no jurisdiction over the case. However, other convictions on counts in which the father was charged with sexual
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The New York Times has published yet another item that describes confusion in the highest American government circles dealing with health care. The story is one of hope and guesswork by competing experts. You’ve heard of a pass and a prayer, or a Hail Mary. The image carries over from football
U.S. health care system staggers along without proper analysis Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel (Press Release)–How incredibly bad is media coverage of Israel-Palestinian issues and of the Middle East in general? Here’s an example. CNN has just run a report on how wonderfully moderate the Palestinian Authority (PA) is. They are firing imams of West Bank mosques who are spewing out incitement against
How Palestinian Authority manipulates Western news media to carry its propaganda Read More »
Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– Brian Lewis, 23, of Modesto, Calif., and Abel Mark Gonzalez, 23, of Morgan Hill, Calif., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to conspiring to violate the civil rights of congregants of Congregation Beth Shalom, a synagogue in Modesto, Calif. According to court documents, on or about Feb.
Two plead guilty in desecration of Modesto synagogue and churches Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–Wednesday night Judy, Margalit, and I watched The Secret Life of Bees. The movie, produced in 2008, is based on the book by the same name by Sue Monk Kidd. The story takes place in Southern Carolina in 1964 in the midst of racial turmoil. The Civil Rights Act had
Remembering the Exodus and the American Civil Rights struggle Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, USAMOUNTAIN CITY, Tennessee (Press Release)–A Tennessee county’s preference for Christianity in its courthouse displays violates the U.S. Constitution, according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Americans United, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group, is challenging the Johnson County Commission’s decision to display the Ten Commandments and Christian
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Without taking any partisan position, but purely on the issue’s historical merits, nothing could have been more appropriate than Sarah Palin’s use of the term “blood libel” to describe what happened to her after the Tucson killings. I know because my direct ancestors were the target of a blood libel.
Commentary: The fact is accusations against Palin were ‘blood libels’ Read More »
International, USATUCSON, Arizona (Press Release)– Following is the text of a speech made by President Barack Obama at the memorial service on Wednesday for the victims of the shooting rampage the previous Saturday: THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Please, please be seated. (Applause.) To the families of those we’ve lost; to all
Obama calls for ‘words that heal’ in aftermath of Tucson rampage Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO– On this very day of national mourning for the atrocity of Tucson, it is regrettable that we find ourselves having to again be distracted by the indulgent and self-serving—and now appalling—proclamations of Sarah Palin. Again blabbing from her cyber-haven of Facebook and not from anyplace in the real world, Palin
Sarah Palin bears responsibility for political climate–and should apologize Read More »
USA
SAN FRANCISCO (Press Release)– In keeping with its commitment to educate the public and to counter anti-Israel messages, StandWithUs has launched an ad campaign in Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations January 17 and running for a month. The ad’s theme is “Say Yes to Peace,” and will direct viewers to a new Web
StandWithUs launches billboard campaign on Bay Area Rapid Transit Read More »
USABy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remark about how the Arizona shooting is just like September 11 is such a superb example of everything wrong with Western policy toward the Middle East. Let’s summarize the issue by coining a phrase which sounds a bit Zen but has a very practical meaning:
Hillary Clinton betrays a misunderstanding of Muslim audiences Read More »
Middle East, USA