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  • Rashida Tlaib should at least learn the history behind the dual loyalty canard

    Andrew Silow Carroll|Jan 18, 2019

    (JTA)—A great American Jewish jurist once argued against the idea of a “hyphenated American.” He said there was no place in America for immigrants and their children to hold on to differences based on “race or creed.” “[T]o keep alive difference of origin or to classify men according to their religious beliefs are inconsistent with American ideas of brotherhood, and are disloyal,” he argued. A few years later, a great American Zionist leader argued that there is nothing more American or patriotic than holding “multiple loyalties”—to G... Full story

  • Australia redivides Jerusalem? Then demand justice for the Aborigines!

    Stephen Flatow|Jan 18, 2019

    (JNS)—The Australian government has decided that Israel’s capital should be torn in half, resuming the apartheid-like status that prevailed the last time the Arabs occupied part of Jerusalem. Would the Temple Mount be in Israel’s part of Jerusalem? Nope. Judaism’s holiest site is “Palestinian,” according to the Australians. What about the Western Wall? Not that, either. It’s “occupied territory.” How about the Old City’s Jewish Quarter, where Jews have lived since time immemorial? Off-limits to Jews. The Mount of Olives, the world’s oldest... Full story

  • Thank heaven we're done with UNESCO 

    Nadav Shragai|Jan 11, 2019

    (JNS)—Thank God, it’s over. When 2018 ended, Israel’s withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization took effect. Don’t feel bad. Under existing conditions, there was no reason to keep our place at the table with the gang of hypocritical liars that every few months rewrote another chapter of the history of the land of Israel and the Jewish people, and co-opted it for the Palestinians. Rather than thrilling at the glorious cultural, religious, historic and archaeological legacy of the Jewish people in the la... Full story

  • Who's in charge?

    Ira Sharansky|Jan 11, 2019

    Chaos in both of my countries: Israel’s government collapses, and calls an election for April 9th; U.S. government is wrapped up in a dispute about the wall, pulls out from Syria, and several other claims about the president. Israel’s election came under dispute about a bill for drafting Haredim, as well as looming charges against the prime minister. Contenders are clamoring, with a major question focused on Benny Gantz. He’s a tall, handsome, and quiet former head of the IDF who is polling in the range of 11-15 Knesset Members, but hasn... Full story

  • Shabbat on the high seas

    Mel Pearlman|Jan 11, 2019

    Whenever my wife and I travel overseas we always listen for the sounds of Jewish! Our latest adventure began on the Friday before Christmas when we boarded a cruise ship destined for the Southeast Carribean Sea. Since the cruise began a few days before Christmas, and Chanukah had already passed, we were not sure if the passenger manifest would contain a significant number of Jewish people to create a meaningful Shabbat service on board our cruise ship. Compounding our uncertainty, the ship was scheduled to depart late Friday afternoon, only an... Full story

  • What if the Six-Day War never took place?

    Martin Sherman|Jan 11, 2019

    (JNS)—If the “West Bank” was part of the “Hashemite Kingdom” up to 1967, how did it suddenly become the Palestinians’ long-yearned-for homeland which, up until then, they were submissively willing to cede to an alien potentate? Not since the time of Dr. Goebels, head of the Nazi propaganda machine, has there ever been a case in which continual repetition of a lie has born such great fruits... Of all the Palestinian lies, there is no lie greater or more crushing than that which calls for the establishment of a separate Palestinian state in th... Full story

  • How to teach the Holocaust going forward

    Ben Cohen|Jan 11, 2019

    (JNS)—Imagine that you are a Jewish doctor in a Nazi concentration camp. About 100 of your fellow inmates suffer from diabetes, and you only have a limited supply of insulin, with no guarantee of more on the way. Do you give each patient the same amount regardless of individual need, knowing that all of them will likely die within a month? Or do you reserve your supply for those with a greater chance of survival, meaning that those with severe diabetes will die much sooner as a result? Or imagine that you are the Greek Jewish teenager from Salo... Full story

  • 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' gets Jewish converts totally wrong

    Alexandra Pucciarelli|Jan 11, 2019

    Since it came into our lives last year, I’ve had mixed feelings about “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Its jokes sometimes feel like the kind of things we say among other fellow Jews, but not to the rest of the world. The show does have a comforting familiarity that makes it easy to binge watch; I watched the whole first season in a single day. It’s like the matzah ball soup of TV shows: It feels like home, with all of the wonderful and less-than-wonderful associations that home can have. One of its more discomfiting aspects (besides the mostly... Full story

  • Pros and cons of the US pullout from Syria

    Jan 4, 2019

    By Caroline Glick www.carolineglick.com President Donald Trump’s sudden announcement that he is removing U.S. forces from Syria shocked many. But it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, because the move is consistent with key aspects of Trump’s military and foreign policy. Trump promised to bring the 2,000 U.S. Special Forces home from Syria in April. When his announcement sparked opposition from the Pentagon and from key allies, Trump said that he would give the Pentagon six months to complete its mission to defeat so-called “Islamic State... Full story

  • LeBron James doesn't deserve a free pass

    Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Aish Hatorah Resources|Jan 4, 2019

    LeBron’s apology is the perfect example of how not to say you are sorry. LeBron James has a following on Instagram more populous than 203 countries. When nearly 46 million people sign up to read everything you have to say, you have a responsibility to be extra thoughtful, careful and mindful of what you post. LeBron is well aware of the platform he has, as he mentioned in his statement reacting to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia last year: I know there’s a lot of tragic things happening in Charlottesville. I just want to speak on it rig... Full story

  • Getting 'fed up' with critical tone of Federation leadership

    Alex Traiman|Jan 4, 2019

    (JNS)—For the second time in two months, the leadership of the Jewish Federation of North America has made it clear that it is fed up with the policies of Israel’s government. According to multiple news reports, JFNA leaders told Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Relations this past week that “relations between Israel and U.S. Jewry are at their lowest point since the state of Israel was established.” Eric Goldstein, chief executive of the UJA-Federation of New York—the only leader willing to come on record—is reported as stating that “people... Full story

  • Troubles

    Ira Sharansky, Letter from Israel|Dec 28, 2018

    The idea of Palestine may be somewhere in the dust, but Israel still has problems. There are several cases of recent attacks that were prominent, and the IDF is digging out tunnels coming from Lebanon into northern Israel. Security forces count in the hundreds the instances of attack that have frustrated this year. One incident was about a month ago, when an employee of a West Bank industry killed two of his colleagues and then ran. Most recently there was a drive-by shooting at an area in the West Bank where people were waiting for rides.... Full story

  • Open letter to the #MeToo movement

    Mel Pearlman, Everywhere|Dec 28, 2018

    In this year’s Time Magazine’s Person of the Year edition, editor Edward Felsenthal published a letter from 12 of the Silence Breakers (Time Magazine’s 2017 Person of the Year). In the letter to Time Magazine the 12 authors tell of the hardships they and the other Silence Breakers endured this past year as whistle blower’s in publicizing the widespread sexual harassment and abuse plaguing almost every aspect of American life; and the important work still to be done to “formalize and expand their push for enduring reforms.” In explaining the wor... Full story

  • Is there no place for me?

    Jim Shipley, Shipley speaks|Dec 28, 2018
    1

    Religion does play a part in politics. When John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic elected president in 1960, the rumble was that the Catholic vote was united —there was an underlying fear that “The pope would now rule American politics.” Nonsense, of course. So far, no Jew has run for president. But, it has always been more about who, what and where we are as a people than our religious positions that have ruled our politics. During the 1930s, at the tail end of the huge immigration of Eastern European Jews to the United States, it is a fair... Full story

  • Raising human spirits

    Christine DeSouza|Dec 28, 2018

    I just came from one of the most inspiring luncheons I have ever attended. Even though this time of year is very busy with luncheons, office parties, and friend or family get-togethers, I am glad I took the time out of my day to be at this one. It was the annual RAISE holiday luncheon. Like other gatherings, people were recognized, thank-you gifts were given, and a fun gift exchange kept everyone laughing (I really wanted that Olive Garden gift card, and I had it for but a brief moment). But there was just something about this particular... Full story

  • Rethinking ways to counteract BDS on campus

    Shaun Ho|Dec 28, 2018

    (JNS)—In recent years, anti-Israel movements have spread to college campuses across North America, manifested by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Georgetown University is no exception. Although the BDS movement at Georgetown gained momentum in recent years, it was rejected in 2017 by the university administration and hasn’t gained ground since then. Moreover, anti-Israel activities also significantly died down, making Georgetown a relatively safe space for pro-Israel and Jewish students alike. What can explain this success sto... Full story

  • Are you a Jew?

    Dec 28, 2018

    Dear Editor: At one time we Jews were about 15 million strong. The past century almost half of us were wiped out. We may be wiped out completely in the future. Iran wants to wipe Israel off the map. Palestinians, namely Hamas, wants to wipe out Israel. Anti-Semites want to wipe out Jews. Throughout the ages, Jews have been persecuted and killed. In 1948, the United Nations approved a country (Israel) for the Jews. If you are a Jew and have no place to go, Israel will accept you. Finally, a country for a Jew. Why does Israel support U.S.... Full story

  • Consider the threats still posed from Syria's borders

    Dec 28, 2018

    Dear Editor: This morning, it was announced that President Trump is considering a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. The reason given is that the terrorist organization ISIS no longer holds territory in Syria, thus the primary objective of a U.S. military presence there is completed. Yet ISIS is far from the only Syria-based danger to America’s interests and allies. Before reaching a final decision on the matter, the Trump Administration should consider the threats still posed from Syria’s borders. Israel shares a northeastern bor... Full story

  • The Scourge of Boycotts Past, Present and Future

    Jonathan Feldstein|Dec 21, 2018

    ‘Twas the month before Christmas And without so much as a flinch AirBNB joined the Israel boycott And became the new corporate Grinch. In recent weeks, it seems as if there have been an unprecedented number of anti-Semitic decisions and declarations that have been dismaying and worrying. Some are cloaked in the veil of being “only” anti-Israel. Make no mistake, these are bald-faced, anti-Semitic acts and need to be called out. While there are no shortage of anti-Semitic grinches this season, and in general, there may be a light at the end o... Full story

  • Putin plays with the Holocaust

    Ben Cohen|Dec 21, 2018

    (JNS)—Back in January, the unlikely figure of Paddington Bear—the cuddly, bright-eyed cub much adored by young children through the years—ran afoul of the Russian government. As part of its policy of limiting the influence of foreign culture on Russia’s citizens, Vladimir Putin’s regime delayed the release of the movie “Paddington Bear 2” by two weeks to prevent it from competing with locally produced films that hit the screens at the same time. That decision was enabled by legislation from 2015 that also permits Russia’s rulers to, in t... Full story

  • Airbnb discriminates against Jews, as media skews facts

    Karen Bekker|Dec 21, 2018

    (CAMERA via JNS)—Airbnb, the worldwide online lodging service, has been in the headlines recently for succumbing to pressure by anti-Israel NGOs, most prominently Human Rights Watch, to delist (that is, boycott) Jewish-owned properties in disputed Judea and Samaria. Some of the media coverage has been a pretext to repeat distortions about the territory and Israel, and far too few stories have shone a light on the deep bias of Human Rights Watch and its staffers. The company claims it is evaluating situations on a “case-by-case” basis, but so fa... Full story

  • Another 'New York Times' columnist needs a history lesson

    Stephen Flatow|Dec 21, 2018

    (JNS)—New York Times op-ed columnist Michelle Goldberg has stirred quite a hornet’s nest with her recent article declaring that anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitic. Others will wrestle with the anti-Zionism/anti-Semitism debate. I prefer to focus on one particular sentence that really goes to the heart of the issue—and which also reveals Goldberg’s gross ignorance of the basic history of the issue she is addressing. According to Goldberg, Palestinian demands are reasonable, and it’s Israel that is being unfair because “the de facto policy of t... Full story

  • #HumanRightsHypocrisy

    Rena Young|Dec 21, 2018

    (JNS)—International Human Rights Day was marked on Dec. 10, with special attention made to honoring the 70-year anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Over the last 70 years, technological innovations have radically changed how human-rights groups engage with the public at large. With the advent of social media, they can amplify their voice at minimal cost. A well-crafted tweet or an eye-catching infographic can enable an organization to reach millions of people in seconds. And while advancing human rights o... Full story

  • The not-so-sweet taste of hypocrisy about anti-Semitism

    Jonathan S. Tobin|Dec 14, 2018

    (JNS)—Mixing food, especially ice-cream, with politics can be problematic. But Ben & Jerry’s—the iconic Vermont creamery founded by two Jewish guys from Long Island, N.Y.—became a huge success doing just that by convincing customers that their company’s support for progressive causes justified eating a fattening, if not tasty, dessert. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield hit the jackpot by building a business that billed itself as having a social conscience, identifying itself with the effort to save the rainforest and naming flavors after pop-cultu... Full story

  • What's the fuss?

    Ira Sharansky, Letter from Israel|Dec 14, 2018

    A Saudi journalist went into his government’s consulate in Turkey, and may have exited some time later in a number of parcels. The disappearance has riled the media with the persistence of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation. The folks are holding Saudi Arabia to a much higher standard of justice than should be expected. And it’s Turkey that is among those leading the fray. It is competing with Saudi Arabia and Egypt for leadership of Sunni Muslims. Turkey’s leader may be dreaming of the extent achieved by the Ottoman Empire. And he has his own re... Full story

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