By Evelyn Gordon WASHINGTON, D.C. — Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas plans to seek UN recognition as a nonmember observer state this fall. His formal request to the UN General Assembly probably won’t be submitted until after the U.S. elections. But given how many parties may need to be lobbied, Washington should […]
The Iranian currency, the rial, is collapsing, and it is taking the Iranian economy with it. Iranian citizens are hungry for a normal life. But the Iranian regime doesn’t care—it will sacrifice anyone on the altar of the nuclear program, writes Boaz Bismuth. Boaz Bismuth/JNS.org At the start of this month, the Iranian currency—the rial—lost
Is the Persian Spring simmering? Read More »
Middle EastBy Jonathan S. Tobin/JNS.org Many months of hard work by Democratic activists aiming to shore up Jewish support for U.S. President Barack Obama wasn’t undermined by arguments from his opponents. Instead, all it took was a cartoon drawing of a bomb. Despite the campaign waged by Jewish Republicans to draw attention to the antagonism between
‘Red line’ cartoon defined Israel-U.S. relationship Read More »
USA
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –When Israel’s leading theatrical company, Habima, was invited to perform Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in Hebrew at the Globe Theatre in London last summer a flurry of opposing voices erupted. The usual vociferous pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel suspects trotted out their tried and tested arguments denigrating Israel’s government. It seemed
Why anti-Semites picketed ‘Merchant of Venice’ Read More »
Travel and FoodEvangelicals march in Jerusalem to support Israel (JNS.org) Thousands of evangelical Christians marched through the streets of Jerusalem Oct. 4 to show support for Israel. The annual march organized by the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem drew more than 5,000 people from nearly 90 countries, as well as 25 international politicians. “This is the real
JNS news briefs: October 5, 2012 Read More »
International
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — In one of the most thrilling permutations of Christianity and Judaism, the Second Coming of Jesus is generally understood as being scheduled for the Jewish fall harvest festival, Sukkot. Since Sukkot—the sweet holiday of the little huts—is well on its way, I’d like to personally invite Jesus to
Rabbi invites Jesus into his sukkah Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — My colleague Shlomo Avineri is one of Israel’s wisest. His academic fields are political philosophy, European and Zionist politics. He had a stint at the peak of policymaking as Director General of the Foreign Ministry, and is a frequent contributor to op-ed pages of Israeli and overseas newspapers. Most
Israel suffers Americans with money… and guns Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — One of my guilty pleasures is reading spy and espionage books. Last week I stopped short after reading a sentence in The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA by Antonio J. Mendez. Mendez was describing one-time pads which are used for secure encrypted
Demystifying the Torah Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — On Simchas Torah one year, Reb Naftoli from Ropshitz saw a man whose mouth did not stop singing and legs would not stop dancing. He was totally immersed in the joy of the celebration of completing the Torah. What Reb Naftoli thought was unusual was that this individual
Wisdom for Sukkot and Simcha Torah Read More »
Travel and Food
By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California — Theresa Rebeck’s Mauritius at the Stagehouse Theatre at Grossmont College wins this reviewer’s stamp of approval notwithstanding some reservations over a few technical issues and the use of far more “f-bombs” than really are necessary. The play will intrigue any philatelist as it revolves around the discovery
Everyone’s a con artist in ‘Mauritius’ at Grossmont College Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonNEW YORK (Press Release) — The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has criticized President Barack Obama for dispatching an extremist, anti-American, anti-Israeli Islamist, Salaam Al-Marayati, to speak overseas on behalf of the U.S. to a human rights conference Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Salaam Al-Marayati, the director of the Islamist Muslim
Anti-Semites appointed to European organizations Read More »
International, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–I was delighted with the first debate between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Not because I think the debate held at the University of Denver on Wednesday evening, Oct. 3, will determine the outcome of the presidential election, but rather because I believe it set a
Three cheers for the presidential debaters Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, USASAN DIEGO–We were alerted by Phil Snyder of San Diego to this moving video about the descendants of Nazi SS guards, who in an act of atonement visited former Nazi concentration camps in various parts of Europe.
Nazi descendants visit concentration camps Read More »
Jewish ReligionMany thought Jewish jazz pianist Fred Hersch would not survive an HIV-related coma, but the experience now gives him a new strength and vigor he brings to each note. Offstage, he supports others with HIV. By Matt Robinson/JNS.org The world of jazz is a broad and often complicated one that is difficult to define. From
Acclaimed pianist, HIV survivor still going and giving Read More »
Travel and Food