Little optimism as Mideast 'peace talks' start anew

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–It is not starting well. One commentator described the talks between Israel and the Palestinians as “beginning on the left foot.” Another called them a “farce.” Several estimated their chances of success as “close to zero,” and attributed their plight to American bumbling. Neither the Israeli Prime Minister nor the Palestinian President […]

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Another Israel divestment vote at UCSD planned tonight

 SAN DIEGO (Press Release)– The student community at UC San Diego is once again facing a divestment debate this evening, Wednesday May 5th. The anti-Israel leadership has already started sending emails, letters, petitions, and propaganda campaigns to promote their mission for the sake of demonizing Israel on campus. The anti-Israel group is calling for their

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Middle East

For refugees, policies of host countries make all the difference

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–“Refugees.” That word means many different things to many different people. The readership of the magazine of the Association of Jewish Refugees (the British publication for which I also write)  is loosely defined as having once fallen into that category. By today, however, most of those who once sought refuge from a

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

Tovah Feldshuh, a must see in ‘Golda’s Balcony’

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—There is something magical about seeing Tovah Feldshuh playing Golda Meir in her one-woman show, Golda’s Balcony by William Gibson now playing at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park through May 30th. From the moment she walks on to the stage, to the time she takes her last of many

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Carol Davis, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

J Street hails beginning of Mideast 'proximity talks'

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami on Monday welcomed the launch of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians, scheduled to begin on Wednesday.  His statement follows: J Street welcomes the launch of Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks. While the start of talks is a step in the right direction, those committed to ending

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Middle East, USA

ADL lauds walkout on Ahmadinejad's nuclear speech at U.N. conference

  WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Monday praised the countries whose delegates walked out on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at a United Nations conference after he accused the U.S., Israel and an unspecified European country of threatening Iran with nuclear weapons. The Iranian president was delivering remarks to the Non-Proliferation Treaty

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Middle East, USA

The intractability of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute

   By Alex Grobman ENGLEWOOD, New Jersey — There are many attempts to understand why the Arab/Israel conflict remains unresolved.  Among the reasons advanced for this impasse are: years of suspicion, fear, feelings of injustice and stereotyping have created a psychological barrier between Israelis and Arabs.1 Negative perceptions have reduced incentives to accept peace proposals,

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Middle East

Five congregations plan Shavuot study-in at San Diego Jewish Academy

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–On May 18, San Diego Jewish Academy and several local synagogues will host a community wide event entitled Tikkun Leil Shavuot: An Evening of Learning, which will focus on uniting the Jewish community. In July of last year, San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) invited local synagogues to participate in a compact designed

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Travel and Food

JFS offers workshops for the economically squeezed

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–Jewish Family Service of San Diego has created a new program to provide special help to individuals and families who are struggling through the tough economic times. The JFS Economic Crisis Response Program provides free workshops, counseling, and case management services to the entire San Diego community. Upcoming May workshops include: May

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Travel and Food