It takes time for attitudes to change, and changing attitudes in the Middle East is a tough proposition. Moving the Europeans may prove harder. [Shoshana Bryen]
Mideast peace change slow, not impossible Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
Last week Attorney General William Barr traveled to Boro Park in Brooklyn and vowed to bring down the full weight of the federal government upon anti-Semitic violence. Who did he target? She who slaps Jews or those who gun us down? Our esteemed attorney general went after what must be the most dangerous of these forces. He announced federal hate-crime charges against…drum roll, please…Tiffany Harris. [Bruce Ticker]
Gun laws, not more prosecution of slapper, needed Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Jewish History, USA
As we go into the final month before the March 3 primary election in California, I’d like to mention the names of Jewish candidates on the ballot for our readers to consider. We’re not making any endorsements in the primary election (although I personally announced for Amy Klobuchar) , but we’d like you to know who they are. In some cases, like Democratic presidential candidates Michael Bloomberg and Bernie Sanders, they oppose each other. [Donald H. Harrison]
A minyan of Jews on local election ballots Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, USA
By what logic then will the Palestinians accept such a deal that robs them of a more than 70-year-old dream to establish an independent state? Whether or not they missed several opportunities in the past to realize their dream, their initial rejection of Israel’s right to exist does not nullify their right to a state of their own that lives in peace with Israel. The Deal has only justified the claim of extremist Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and countries like Iran and others, that Israel has had all along no intention of allowing the Palestinians to have an independent state, and that only continued violent resistance will force Israel’s hands. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Trump’s deal endangers Israelis’ long-term security Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East, USAThe United States will send 152 of the 500 delegates who will meet in Jerusalem at the World Zionist Congress, which allocates approximately $1 billion a year in funds for Zionist activities in Israel, the United States, and around the world. Voting continues through March 11 via this website.
The leaders of Israel Shelanu on Tuesday, Feb. 4, put out a press release saying the Israel-American Council (IAC) betrayed Israeli-Americans when it decided to support the slate of Kol Israel rather than Israel Shelanu. [Donald H. Harrison]
Israeli-Americans tussle over WZC slates Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
“Never again.” Those iconic words, widely used in the public discourse around the Holocaust, took a step toward codification under U.S. law with the House of Representatives’ recent passage of the Never Again Education Act on this year’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day. [Jacob Kamaras]
‘Never again’ becoming codified in U.S. law Read More »
International, Jacob Kamaras, Jewish History, USAYes, this new plan visualizes a future State of Palestine in the Jewish homeland. But it’s highly unlikely that the PLO would agree to such a weak “state,” thereby enabling Israel to enlarge its territory within the four-year time frame allotted to the Palestinian Authority. (Consequences from establishing an Arab state, or not, are beyond the scope of this article.) Like Ben-Gurion and his cohorts, Netanyahu and the interim government, or a newly-elected government following the Israeli March 2 election, should grab this opportunity and build on it despite its imperfections. [Steve Kramer]
Israel should begin implementing Trump Plan Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA
Trump’s much heralded “deal of the century” is turning out to be a painful illustration of the futility of offering definite solutions to the Israeli-Palestine issue. Despite Prime Minister Netanyahu’s enthusiastic reception and the statements by members of President Trump’s entourage that this was the best deal Palestinians could expect, most reactions on all sides have been largely negative. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
A piece plan, not a peace plan Read More »
Middle East, USA
The Deal of the Century.” It’s a mess. With some good features, as well as others. On the good side, it does away with the 1967 lines, outdated by more than 50 years of movement here and there, and kept alive only by Palestinian ideology, which competes with Palestinian ideas tying things to pre-1948. Except for that, the deal seems to present as many problems as opportunities.The Deal of the Century.” It’s a mess. With some good features, as well as others. On the good side, it does away with the 1967 lines, outdated by more than 50 years of movement here and there, and kept alive only by Palestinian ideology, which competes with Palestinian ideas tying things to pre-1948. Except for that, the deal seems to present as many problems as opportunities. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Trump’s deal roils Israeli politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
International collage artist Michael Anderson is presently enjoying a solo show, the first in four years, at Arts & Leisure gallery on New York City’s Upper East Side. Armageddon Yacht is an exhibition of sixteen recent works, all featuring Anderson’s unique and inimitable style. Whereas most collage artists make use of magazines, Michael uses exclusively street posters gathered from around the world, which allows for work on a much greater scale than is typically associated with collage. His pictures are at once unmistakable and visceral, sweeping, playful and ironic. [Sam Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Michael Anderson and the Armageddon Yacht Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir, USA
Just as the Oscars have a category for “Best Supporting Actor,” I think the NFL might want to consider an award for Best Supporting Player. In this game, to my mind, there was none better than offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who so far as I know was the only Jewish player in the contest. [Donald H. Harrison]
Nobody gets past the Schwartz! Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Exactly four months before their 50th anniversary, Rachel and Jerry Levens renewed their wedding vows in a backyard ceremony officiated by Rabbi Joshua Dorsch, the third rabbi to serve in Tifereth Israel’s pulpit since Jerry’s father, the late Rabbi Monroe Levens, retired in the 1970s.
[Donald H. Harrison]
A renewal of vows nearly 50 years later Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, USA
Young Israel of San Diego, located in a small shopping center at 7291 Navajo Road, is exploring the possibility of erecting an eruv, which under halacha, Jewish law, extends the area of people’s homes, enabling Shabbat-observant Jews to carry packages or push baby carriages with the eruv’s boundaries. [Donald H. Harrison]
Planning for San Carlos neighborhood eruv Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAWorries that Sanders could jeopardize the party’s standing coincided with the impeachment trial, Trump’s so-called peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians, and the aftermath of the parliamentary elections in Britain. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Sanders could hurt down-ballot Democrats Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Middle East, USA