STRASBOURG, France (WJC)–The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ruled that the constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina discriminates against the Jewish and Roma minorities in the Balkan country and must be changed. The court ruled on Tuesday in favor of the two plaintiffs, the president of the Jewish Community, Jakob Finci, and Roma leader Dervo […]
JERUSALEM (WJC)–Western diplomatic sources have told Arab newspaper ‘al-Hayat’ that Israel has agreed to release 443 of the 450 prisoners Hamas has demanded be freed in exchange for the release of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. In addition, the sources said Israel had demanded that over 100 of the prisoners to be freed will be
Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange rumors intensify Read More »
Middle EastCHISINAU, Moldova (WJC)–The Russian Orthodox Church in the former Soviet republic of Moldova has indirectly blamed the Jewish community for the recent anti-Semitic march by Christian fundamentalists in the capital Chisinau in which a public menorah was dismantled. A church statement said: “We believe that this unpleasant incident could have been avoided if the menorah
Moldovan church indirectly blames Jews for anti-Semitic incident Read More »
Travel and FoodJERUSALEM (WJC) — Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger has said that Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to proceed with the beatification of war-time Pope Pius XII made it difficult to continue with Catholic-Jewish interfaith dialogue. However, Metzger emphasized that the Israeli Chief Rabbinate would not cut off relations with the Vatican. On Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI
Israel's chief rabbi expresses concern over possible sainthood for Pope Pius XII Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) — The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) on Tuesday denounced the provision in the Senate health reform bill that would deprive millions of women of access to abortion and impose onerous restrictions on millions more. NCJW President Nancy Ratzan released the following statement: “The ongoing war against women’s ability to exercise their
NCJW denounces Senate health care restrictions on abortion coverage Read More »
USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday announced a $217 million settlement with Lloyds TSB Bank, plc (Lloyds), concerning the bank’s intentional manipulation and deletion of information about U.S. sanctioned parties in wire transfer instructions routed through third-party banks located in the United
Lloyds TSB "Bank pays $217 million fine for helping Iran circumvent U.S. trade laws Read More »
USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Tuesday designated the Iraq-based insurgent group Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al-Naqshabandi (JRTN) for threatening the peace and stabilization efforts in Iraq. JRTN has committed, directed, supported, or posed a significant risk of committing acts of violence against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces and was
U.S. Treasury Department freezes assets of Iraqi insurgent group Read More »
USAJudy Lash Balint, “Bethlehem prepares for Christmas,” on Ground Report Cable News Network, “House uncovered in Nazareth dating to the time of Jesus” Jane Fantel found this video about “The Lost Generation” on YouTube Donald H. Harrison, “Sightseeing in San Diego County,” a growing collection of stories about places to take your family and/or
Recommended reading and viewing #8 Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C., (Press Release)– In response to the Senate’s early morning procedural vote on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Mark Pelavin, Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement: We are pleased to see the Senate’s vote to move forward with crucial health insurance reform legislation that
Reform movement expresses mixed reactions over Health Care bill Read More »
USAWASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)–As the United States prepares to ramp up troop levels in Afghanistan and bring that war to a close, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat, Oregon) called on Richard C. Holbrooke, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, to turn attention to the illicit funding streams that are propping up the Taliban’s ability to
LOS ANGELES (Press Release)– The Grand Rabbi of Spinka, a religious group within Orthodox Judaism, was sentenced Monday morning to two years in federal prison for orchestrating a tax evasion scheme that prosecutors called “an astonishingly complex and sinister enterprise.” Grand Rabbi Naftali Tzi Weisz, 61, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty last summer to a
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The issue of Gilad Shalit rocketed again this week to the top of the national agenda, and now seems to have receded to another period of probing about further negotiations. For the nth time, the later headlines are more pessimistic than the earlier headlines. As far as one can tell from the
Comparing and contrasting Gilad Shalit and Rachel Corrie Read More »
Middle East, USAATLANTA (WJC)–Former US President Jimmy Carter has asked the Jewish community for forgiveness for any offense he may have caused when criticizing Israel. In a letter release by the news agency JTA, Carter sent season’s greeting and wished peace between Israel and its neighbors. He concluded: “We must recognize Israel’s achievements under difficult circumstances, even
Jimmy Carter says an 'Al Het' if any of his words stigmatized Israel Read More »
Middle East, USAMUNICH (WJC) — In the war crimes trial against Ivan (John) Demjanjuk, which resumed on Monday, Holocaust survivors gave testimony. The court rejected a defense motion to suspend the trial and release Demjanjuk, who complained about back problems. Prosecutors accuse him of assisting in the killing of 27,900 Jews at the Nazi death camp Sobibor
Survivors shed tears during Demjanjuk trial Read More »
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