By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — On the day that Barack Obama gained enough votes supporting his deal with Iran to keep it from even coming to a vote in the Senate, the Supreme Leader of his partner nation, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proclaimed that Iran would see to it that Israel will not survive the 25 […]
Obama’s pyrrhic victory Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Stephen M. Greenberg and Malcolm Hoenlein NEW YORK — For more than a decade, the Conference of Presidents has been addressing the dangers posed by the extremist Islamist regime in Iran. We have been at the forefront sounding alarms about Iran’s drive for regional hegemony, support for terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, gross
Appeal for unity on the day after Senate’s Iran vote Read More »
Middle East, USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — Somebody wrote me a nasty letter recently after something I wrote about Jews and social justice. “You just wrote that because you’re a Jew,” spouted my critic. To this branding, I say, thank you! Thank you! Thank you for attributing to me the greatest possible ethnic compliment. Call me
New Year’s resolution: ‘Call me a Jew!’ Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USAEU parliament backs labels for products made beyond Israel’s pre-1967 lines (BreakingIsraelNews.com/JNS.org) On Thursday, the European Union’s parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution to differentiate labels on products made in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights from those made in the rest of Israel. The labels were backed by 525 European
Jewish news briefs: September 11, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Ben Cohen/JNS.org WASHINGTON, D.C. (JNS.org)– On Sept. 17, the Regents of the 10-school University of California (UC) system will discuss a statement of principles against intolerance. Alarmed by a rash of anti-Semitic incidents on UC campuses, a large number of Jewish scholars and activists have urged that the Regents adopt, in the context of their
U.C. to debate anti- Semitism’s definition Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (Tazpit)–This year, the call of the shofar will be made accessible to thousands of Israelis, many of whom have never previously heard the blast of the shofar traditionally sounded on Rosh Hashanah in the synagogue. After 15 years of expanding Yom Kippur programs to 295 locations across the country, Tzohar, the
Secular Israelis to hear the sound of the shofar Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastNetanyahu to British PM: willing to negotiate with Palestinians ‘immediately’ (JNS.org) At the start of a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is prepared to “immediately” resume direct peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. “I want to say here in 10 Downing Street,
Jewish news briefs: September 10, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
-21st in a series- By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Two of my grandsons were born at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital that towers over the intersection of Mission Gorge Road and Zion Avenue. Given that the hospital’s address is 4647 Zion Avenue, I sometimes joke that these descendants were natural born “Zionists.” But no such flights
I-8 Jewish travel: The doctor who pioneered HMO’s Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The numbers are large, and projections are that the stream of refugees from the east and south will remain at flood stage. Some are predicting another historic migration, such as that which brought tribes from Asia to Europe long ago, and the great movements after World War II. Projections range to
Instead of helping refugees, nations talk and talk Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAA Healthy and Good News Year By Michael Ordman NETANYA, Israel — Today I present to you my predictions for Israel’s medical achievements that will take place in the forthcoming new Jewish Year of 5776. They are reliable predictions, as they mirror actual events that occurred in 5775. I have only sufficient space here to
Positively Israel ~ September 9, 2015 Read More »
Michael Ordman, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationPoll: 52% of eastern Jerusalem Arabs prefer Israeli citizenship (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Half of eastern Jerusalem’s Arab residents—52 percent—would prefer to be Israeli citizens, while only 45 percent of them would prefer to be citizens of a future Palestinian state, a recent survey by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy found. A similar
Jewish news briefs: September 9, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — What’s the future of this region? No one in their right mind has a convincing answer. What had been major players, or at least rich countries with lots of oil, i.e., Syria (without much oil), Iraq and Libya (with lots of it) are no more. They’ve all gone the way
Mideast turmoil defies academic description Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAIsraeli firm sells 6 drones to Switzerland for $250 million (JNS.org) The Swiss parliament on Monday approved the purchase of six Hermes 900 drones, at a cost of $250 million, from the Israeli manufacturer Elbit Systems. While the parliamentary decision passed with a 30-12 majority, the minority argued against the drone because it was used
Jewish news briefs: September 8, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
By Howard Wayne SAN DIEGO — My maternal grandmother immigrated to the United States from the Kingdom of Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in around 1910. She visited her family twice between the world wars, and afterwards sent some money to her father, Joseph Weinstein (or Weinstein Jozcef in Hungarian). As far as we
Persistence, patience triumph in search for ancestors Read More »
International, Jewish History