Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday picked the next director of the Mossad spy agency, identified only as “D”, to replace Yossi Cohen, a high-profile player in recent normalisation deals with Arab states. Netanyahu “decided to appoint Deputy Mossad Director ‘D’ as the next Mossad Director. ‘D’ is an accomplished Mossad veteran,” a statement […]
Israel picks new head of Mossad spy agency Read More »
Middle East
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and advisor, will visit Israel and Morocco next week to discuss the normalisation of ties between the two countries, a US official told AFP on Tuesday. The American delegation, headed by Kushner, will take the first direct commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Rabat, the source said. Kushner
Jared Kushner to lead US delegation to Israel and Morocco Read More »
Middle East, USA
President-elect Joe Biden has set his mind on nominating Pete Buttigieg to serve as his transportation secretary, three sources told the New York Daily News on Tuesday, making him the first 2020 rival to get a Cabinet nod from the soon-to-be president. The former South Bend, Indian., mayor, who dropped out of the 2020 Democratic
Biden picks ex-2020 rival Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary Read More »
USA
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged Joe Biden‘s win on Tuesday morning for the first time, referring to him as the President-elect six weeks after Election Day. “The electoral college has spoken,” McConnell said. “Today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden.” McConnell also noted Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for the first time, stating “all
Mitch McConnell Acknowledges Biden’s Victory As President-Elect For The First Time Read More »
USA
ATLANTA — President-elect Joe Biden urged Georgia Democrats to “turn out the vote so it’s not even close” on Tuesday to boost Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock ahead of Jan. 5 runoffs that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. “I know what we can do. I know what this country is
Biden presses Georgia Democrats to ensure runoffs aren’t ‘even close’ Read More »
USA
Some letters written in Hebrew dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) were found in the province of Shinjiang on the ancient Silk Road. This was the route that Jewish merchants from the Middle East traveled to China. According to records, a large group of Jewish people traveled on Persian merchant ships and arrived in China in the year 998 (Northern Song Dynasty 960-1127). They then traveled through the city of Quanzhou and then Yangzhou and finally settled in the capital of Henan called Kaifeng. In the city of Quanzhou (Fujian province), there are tombstones showing the Hebrew names supporting this record. In KaiFeng, they stayed in a district called Heshuen (Peace and Harmony) and the people at that time called the Jewish people “Blue Cap Hui Hui.” [Li-Rong Cheng, Ph.D]
Jewish History in China Stretches Back More Than A Millennium Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
Only yesterday I published a column about the joy of collecting photos of automobile license plates. Today, to my pleasant surprise, I received a notice that the State of Florida has issued a specialty plate with the legend “Florida Stands With Israel.” A sample of the plate may be seen above. [Donald H. Harrison]
Florida Celebrates Israel on a License Plate Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA
On March 15, 2019, a terror attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand claimed 51 lives and wounded another 40 people. A NZ Royal Commission has now released a massive report on the attack, more than 800 pages, the most important point of which is that the terrorist was unknown to authorities until moments before he struck, but that somehow more and better intelligence would help prevent future attacks. In a striking omission, the report fails to consider the role of individual institutions in providing their own security measures—which, in this case, could have saved many lives, maybe all of them. [Shoshana Bryen and Stephen Bryen, The Epoch Times]
Houses of Worship Must Take Own Security Measures Read More »
International, Shoshana Bryen, Stephen D. Bryen
The big political event of the week was the announcement by Gideon Sa’ar that he was leaving Likud, and forming a new party,
Sa’ar has a long history in Israeli politics. He was in the Knesset from 2003, Minister of Education, then Minister of Interior. He left then returned to the Knesset, challenged Bibi in a Likud primary, and lost. Then Bibi kept him out of the government and any Knesset committee seats. Now he’s resigned again from the Knesset, and Likud, and hopes to be Prime Minister. Instead of Bibi. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Gideon Sa’ar leaves the Knesset, begins forming new party Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Washington (AFP) – Joe Biden said Monday that US democracy proved “resilient” against Donald Trump’s “abuse of power” after the Electoral College confirmed him as the next president, shutting the door further on unprecedented efforts to overturn the results. In his first extended attack on Trump since the election, Biden said in his hometown of
Biden lashes out at Trump after election win confirmed Read More »
USA
ATLANTA — Supporters of President Donald Trump continue to try to overturn the results of the presidential election, even as the Electoral College voted Monday to formally name Joe Biden the next president. Atlanta attorney L. Lin Wood Jr. has appealed his lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court after other federal courts rejected his claims.
Georgia election challenge appealed to US Supreme Court Read More »
USA
In Parshah Mitketz, the story of Josef continues. Pharaoh has two frightening dreams. In the first dream, there are seven healthy cows grazing in a lush field, followed by seven skinny, starving cows. The skinny cows eat the healthy ones. In his second dream, there are seven healthy stalks of grain followed by seven skinny ugly ones. The skinny grain eats the healthy ones. Pharaoh searches for someone to interpret his dreams. [Marcia Berneger]
Torah for Children: Family Is Important Read More »
Jewish Religion, Marcia Berneger
Washington (AFP) – President Donald Trump on Monday announced that Attorney General Bill Barr, who angered him by contradicting his claims of having been the victim of mass fraud in the US election, is leaving office. “Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House,” Trump, who is set
Trump announces departure of Attorney General Bill Barr Read More »
USA
New York (AFP) – A nurse in New York became the first person in the United States to receive the coronavirus vaccine Monday. Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, received the Pfizer-BioNTech shot live on television shortly before 9:30 am (1430 GMT). “First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations
New York nurse receives first Covid vaccine in US Read More »
USA