Travel and Food

AMSTERDAM (WJC)–A bill that would ban kosher slaughter (shechita) in the Netherlands is set to be debated in parliament soon. The European Jewish Congress (EJC) called on Dutch lawmakers to reject the planned ban as it went against the principle of freedom of religion. Shechita was permissible under European law and guaranteed by the EU

MONTREAL, Canada (WJC) — A municipal court ruled that a Jewish cab driver must not display religious artifacts and other objects in his taxi. Arieh Perecowicz, 66, lost his when a court upheld several fines against him for having too many personal and religious objects in his car. He was ordered to pay US$ 1,300, half of it

WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release) – The U.S. Department of Treasuryon Thursday designated Bank Refah for providing financial services to the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). In recent years, Bank Refah has facilitated millions of dollars of weapons-related purchases by MODAFL. These purchases included missiles and

 BEER-SHEVA, Israe; (Press Release)– Robotics researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have received a $1.3 million grant (977,840 €) to develop intelligent sensing and manipulation algorithms for robots that can sense and pick high value crops. The project is part of the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7) “cRops” (Clever Robots for Crops).  cRops

NEW YORK (Press Release)… The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)  said Thursday it was deeply troubled by the dozens of violent attacks on journalists covering pro-democracy protests in Egypt and in other countries in North Africa and the Middle East. Scores of reporters were subjected to violent beatings, detentions, assaults and equipment seizures during the protests in Egypt. 

RAMAT GAN, Israel (Press Release)– Professor Chaim Breitbart of Bar Ilan University has been studying the biochemistry of sperm cells for over 30 years. His research has led him to groundbreaking knowledge which he is trying to apply to making the first male birth control pill. By jamming the biochemical machinery of sperm, an Israeli

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – As American businesses continue to invest in Iran’s energy sector, funding Iran’s illicit quest for nuclear weapons, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) and Mark Kirk (R-Illinois), and U.S. Representatives Ted Deutch (D-Florida) and Dan Burton (R-Indiana) Wednesday introduced the Iran Transparency and Accountability Act. The bipartisan legislation would require companies to

TUNIS (WJC)–There are heightened fears among Tunisia’s Jews over their safety after Islamists held anti-Jewish protests outside the main synagogue in central Tunis last week. The Interior Ministry on Tuesday condemned extremist demonstrations and incitement to violence, in an apparent reference to the protests outside the synagogue.   The leader of the country’s small Jewish community,

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and twenty-three of her Senate colleagues on Tuesday  sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to work towards the establishment of an independent human rights monitor on Iran at the United Nations Human Rights Council session beginning March 1. In their letter, led

BUDAPEST (WJC)—A 97-year-old man was charged by prosecutors on Monday for allegedly committing war crimes during World War II. According to the charge sheet, Sandor Kepiro was complicit in the execution of four innocent civilians in Novi Sad, Serbia, between 21 and 23 January 1942, as the commander of a patrol, according to a spokeswoman for

ATHENS (WJC)–Police have arrested a Palestinian man who holds a Lebanese passport and is suspected of being a member of the terrorist group Fatah-al-Islam. Ghaleb Taleb was arrested along with another man for being a member of the Lebanese-based organization, following a lengthy surveillance operation. The arrest by anti-terrorism police followed a report in the

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–My insight of the evening, while enjoying Haydn’s Symphony #96, Bartok’s Concerto #2 for piano and orchestra, and Schubert’s Symphony # 9: This isn’t politics. Zubin Mehta was in control. The Israeli Philharmonic was was in tune and orderly. I did not notice a stray note, protest, or lack of compliance throughout