Archive for December 22, 2013

Edgar Bronfman dies at 84: Jewish Community Leader & Philanthropist

Longtime president of the World Jewish Congress, Edgar Bronfman fought for Jewish rights, championed community projects, & as philanthropist, took the lead to create & fund numerous projects that strengthen the Jewish identity among the young.

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Edgar Bronfman, the billionaire former beverage magnate and leading Jewish philanthropist, died Saturday. He was 84.

Edgar Bronfman

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon listens to Edgar Bronfman, then president of the World Jewish congress, during a meeting in Jerusalem on October 2, 2002. – Photo: Reuters

As the longtime president of the World Jewish Congress, Bronfman fought for Jewish rights worldwide and led the successful fight to secure more than a billion dollars in restitution from Swiss banks for Holocaust victims and their heirs. Continue Reading »

Clinton: Israel’s Criticism is Good for American Diplomacy

Israeli criticism of P5+1 deal with Iran helps American diplomacy, says former Secretary of State.

By Maayana Miskin

 

Israeli leaders’ criticism of Western powers recent agreement with Iran has been good for America, former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said, according to Maariv/nrg.

Clinton reportedly said in a closed meeting in Washington that Israel’s open concern that the plan would be ineffective has kept the pressure on Iran and its allies.

Israel’s status as a perceived ally of the United States means that its warnings of a possible military strike are taken seriously in Iran, she explained. Continue Reading »

US, UK used American satellites to eavesdropped & read emails of Israeli officials

 

 

Secret documents revealed by intelligence contractor Edward Snowden: The US & UK conducted a large scale operation in which they used satellite connections to intercept SMS and email communications between Israeli officials.

By Ynet

Intelligence and government officials in Israel have been looking since Friday into a report according to which the National Security Agency and Britain’s General Communications Headquarters (GHCQ) intercepted the email traffic of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and then Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and later spied on the communications of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to a report from the German news website Der Spiegel, and similar reports from The New York Times and The Guardian, both agencies also targeted various Israel Foreign Ministry offices across the world. Continue Reading »

Given US Caught Spying On Closest Allies, Pollard’s Continued Imprisonment ‘Absurd’

Fmr. Assistant Secretary of Defense lashes out at White House after US caught spying on allies and Obama still omits Pollard from end of year clemency list.

By Ari Yashar, Arutz Sheva Staff

 

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Dr. Lawrence Korb on Saturday night said that Jonathan Pollard’s ongoing imprisonment, in light of new revelations of US spying on Israeli leaders, is “absurd” and a “moral embarrassment.”

Korb’s comments come as US President Barack Obama omitted Pollard from the 13 pardons he issued last Thursday. In addition to the 13, 6 of whom were drug dealers, Obama commuted the sentence on 8 other criminals, all of them drug dealers. Continue Reading »

Saudi Arabia & Israel: Can common interests trump differences?

 

 

Despite their differences, Israel & Saudi Arabia have been on the same side of a number of Middle Eastern conflicts, from Gamal Abdul Nasser to Saddam Hussein. Once again, both countries are on the same side with respect to Iran.

By Dore Gold

 

In the aftermath of the Geneva agreement over Iran’s nuclear program, a large number of articles have appeared in the international press speculating whether as a consequence Israel might be drawn into a new partnership with Saudi Arabia. This idea might at first appear to be far-fetched, given Saudi Arabia’s historical role in the Arab-Israel conflict.

Continue Reading »

Gen. John Allen: Won’t let attacks on Israel happen under his watch

 

Renowned former commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Allen, was chosen by Obama to formulate security arrangement for future peace deal.

Former IDF General Gadi Shamni, ‘Allen is having sleepless nights, he won’t let attacks happen under his watch.’ 

By Yitzhak Benhorin

At the age of 59, US General Gadi Shamni was ready to take on one of the most important security roles the US has to offer. Shortly before his ascension to the role, Allen decided to serve his commander-in-chief in a different manner: He is the man meant to cause Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make history. Continue Reading »

Obama grants clemency to 21 criminals but passes on Pollard

Bill Richardson, a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration calls on US president to put Israeli agent on Christmas holiday clemency list.

 

 

 

US President Barack Obama granted clemency to 21 criminals over the weekend, as part of the pardons and commutations traditionally approved ahead of the Christmas holiday. Obama pardoned 13 criminals and commuted the sentences of eight.
Jonathan and Esther Pollard

Jonathan and Esther Pollard – Photo: Courtesy of Justice4JP

Most of the convicts on the list were drug dealers and thieves, some of whom would have received lesser sentences if convicted of the same crimes today.

Continue Reading »

Arab League: Not one Israeli in future Palestine & requesting UN to investigate Arafat’s death

 

Arab League chief speaks at a conference of Arab foreign ministers, convened at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to support PA interests.

By & Reuters

 

 

Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Araby said on Saturday that there could be ‘not one’ Israeli soldier in the territory of a future Palestine. At a conference of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, al-Araby – alongside the Libyan foreign minister – was tasked with presenting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with the Arab stance on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

A conference of Arab foreign ministers in Cair

A conference of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, Saturday 21, 2013.-

Continue Reading »

2nd Gaza Terror Attempt Foiled by IDF, In 2 Days

Another Palestinian terrorist wounded whilst placing explosive on Israel’s security fence with Gaza.

This incident comes just one day after previous clash left one Gaza terrorist dead.

By Ari Yashar

 

 

IDF forces foiled a terror attempt from Gaza on Saturday, shooting and wounding a 22 year old terrorist who was trying to place an explosive on the border.

According to the IDF: “this morning terrorists attempted to conceal an explosive device in order to attack IDF soldiers who operate in the proximity of the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip.”

Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesmen for terrorist organization Hamas’s emergency services, told AFP the terrorist was shot east of the Gaza town of Khan Yunis and moderately injured. Continue Reading »

1,000 high school students from France say ‘Bonjour’ to Israel

 

Keren Hayesod & the Jewish Agency bring the 11th group of Jewish French high school students to Israel for a week-long educational trip.

Jewish Agency chief Natan Sharansky heads list of guests at the graduation students’ celebration in Jerusalem.

By Yori Yalon

Some 1,000 French high school students who arrived in Israel for a week-long educational trip took part in a celebratory event at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.

French high school students in Jerusalem on Thursday – Photo: Uri Lenz

Event guests included Jewish Agency CEO Natan Sharansky and Keren Hayesod France Chairman Richard Prasquier.

The graduation trip, entitled “High School Seniors in Blue and White,” brought students to Israel from 25 Jewish schools in France.

Continue Reading »

Interfaith cooperation saves Bradford synagogue

Faced with closure a year ago, today Bradford’s synagogue’s future is bright, a model of cross-cultural co-operation after a nearby mosque together with a few local Muslims stepped in.

 

It was around this time last year that the trustees of Bradford‘s final remaining synagogue faced a tough choice. The roof of the Grade II-listed Moorish building was leaking; there was serious damage to the eastern wall, where the ark held the Torah scrolls; and there was no way the modest subscriptions paid annually by the temple’s 45 members could cover the cost.

Bradford Synagogue

Zulfi Karim, secretary of Bradford Council of Mosques, and Rabi Rudi Leavor inside Bradford Synagogue.

Continue Reading »

Jewish cemeteries feeling neglect & disrepair from lack of long-term plans

Lacking funds and having had no long-term plans, many U.S. Jewish cemeteries are in an awful state of neglect.

 

 

NEW YORK (JTA) — For years, the historic Jewish cemetery was so overgrown with weeds, plagued by toppled headstones, and littered with fallen branches, beer cans and snack-food wrappers that at least a quarter of its graves were impossible to reach.

A section of New York's Bayside Cemetery in Queens before a UJA-Federation-funded cleanup. (Courtesy of the Community Association for Jewish At-Risk Cemeteries)

A section of New York’s Bayside Cemetery in Queens before a UJA-Federation-funded cleanup. – Photo Courtesy of the Community Association for Jewish At-Risk Cemeteries

Even now, after a $140,000 cleanup and improved maintenance procedures, the 35,000-grave cemetery relies on the generosity of a non-Jewish volunteer to repair its tombstones, fences and mausoleums.

Continue Reading »

Oren calls on US Congress to dissuade movements to boycott Israel as it did in 1977

 

Former Israeli ambassador suggests to US lawmakers in Politico op-ed, that more organizations could boycott Israeli academia if action isn’t taken.

By JPOST.COM STAFF 

 

 

 

The US Congress should act to quell the movement to boycott Israel academically, former Israeli ambassador to Washington Michael Oren argued Friday, in the wake of the American Studies Association’s (ASA) decision to boycott Israeli academic institutions.

Former Israeli ambassador to US Michael Oren

Former Israeli ambassador to US Michael Oren – Photo: Hyungwon Kang / Reuters

The 5,000-member association, which describes itself as “the nation’s oldest and largest association devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and history,” announced on Monday that it had endorsed and would participate in a boycott of Israeli universities and academic institutions. Continue Reading »

Switzerland, Canada & Israel are the U.S.’s Top 3 Innovation Partners

 

Of the 16 countries that had strong innovative tech companies, the USISTF found that Switzerland is America’s biggest innovation partner, followed by Canada & then Israel.

By Alex Knapp, Forbes Staff

 

Despite the perennial myth of the lone genius, the fact remains that innovation depends on cooperation. And as technology becomes ever more complicated, improving that research requires larger and larger groups working together – including groups working across national borders.

USISTF report – Illustration source: Forbes

In an attempt to quantify that transnational cooperation, the US-Israel Science & Technology Foundation (USISTF) has created a “U.S.-Israel Innovation Index” to measure bilateral research and development between the U.S. Continue Reading »

Hassan Nasrallah vows that Hezbollah will avenge Israel for arms-commander’s murder

 

Hezbollah’s chief said he is confident Israel was responsible for assassination of Shiite organization’s arms chief near Beirut.

 

 

The leader of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group says it is confident based on evidence it has that Israel was behind this month’s assassination in Beirut of a senior Hezbollah commander.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah gives an interview to local television station OTV at an undisclosed location in Lebanon, Dec. 3 2013. – Photo: AFP

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech Friday to exact revenge.

Hassan al-Laqis was gunned down in the garage of his nearby apartment building on Dec. Continue Reading »