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.

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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.

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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 »

PLO Official: Strip West Bank Residents of Their Israeli Citizenship

Former PA negotiators puts the blame on Israel for failures in peace talks, threatens to coerce other countries to strip ‘settlers’ of Israeli citizenship.

By Dalit Halevi, Tova Dvorin

 

Mohammed Shtayyeh, Member of the Central Committee of Fatah, a former Palestinian Authority (PA) cabinet minister, accused the Israeli government of avoiding political agreements and employing a policy of “settlement” expansion, house demolitions and “killing civilians.”

Shtayyeh was one of the negotiators who submitted his resignation to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas earlier this year.

Ma’an reports Friday that at a restaurant in the PA village of Beit Jala, Shtayyeh claimed the “so-called bilateral Palestinian-Israeli negotiations are not going to take us anywhere”. Continue Reading »

Putin Reputedly Supports Israel’s Security Needs in Middle East

Israel’s daily Maariv claims that in a private meeting between Netanyahu & Putin, a security pact for Israel’s safety was forged.

By Tova Dvorin and Ari Yashar

 

A pact was forged between Moscow and Jerusalem to ensure Israel’s security during a private meeting last month, according to a Friday Maariv report.

The report claims that a 90-minute conversation took place between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin during Netanyahu’s last-minute attempt to prevent an interim nuclear deal between Western powers and Iran.

While Moscow – which has been rumored to be involved in a nuclear arms deal with Tehran – refused to accede to Israel’s stance on the nuclear Iran issue, Putin did allegedly promise to ensure Israel’s security in the region. Continue Reading »

Declassified Secret Report: Mandela received Mossad training in Ethiopia

By JTA

 

 

Nelson Mandela received training from Israel’s Mossad in the 1960s, an Israeli government document has revealed.

Nelson Mandela Photo: Eli Weinberg -1961

Mandela, the former South African president and anti-apartheid leader who died earlier this month, was trained by Mossad agents in weaponry and sabotage in 1962, according to a report Thursday in Haaretz that was based on a document in the Israel State Archives labeled “Top Secret.”

The document, a letter sent from the Mossad to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, said Mossad operatives also attempted to encourage Zionist sympathies in Mandela, Haaretz reported.

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Gazan Killed, 3 Palestinians wounded in 3 separate border fence skirmishes with IDF

 

IDF shot dead a 22 yr-old Palestinian by the fence near Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza. One Palestinian source claimed the man was there trying to catch birds.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, REUTERS

 

 

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian and wounded three others in three separate incidents of cross-border violence in the Gaza Strip on Friday, Palestinian officials said.

Explosive devices planted near Gaza security fence-  Photo: IDF Spokesperson

Explosive devices planted near Gaza security fence- Photo: IDF Spokesperson

The Israeli military, which has long said the area in Gaza along the border fence is off limits, said it was looking into the reports.

A 22-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by the fence near Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Continue Reading »

Gaza’s BDS Advocate Wanted His Medical Care in Israel

Yet another Palestinian hypocrite who demanded nations to sever their ties with Israel, took a different path, when he needed what Israel had to offer.

And still, Jerusalem provided, even to Sarraj, the best medical care available.

By: Lori Lowenthal Marcus

 

Eyad El-Sarraj, Gaza psychiatrist and major BDS advocate, died. But first he sought medical treatment in Israel. Eyad El-Sarraj, Gaza psychiatrist and major BDS advocate, died. But first he sought medical treatment in Israel. Eyad El Sarraj, a prominent psychiatrist in the Gaza Strip, died on Wednesday, Dec. 18. El Sarraj was 70 years old. He died of complications from Leukemia. Continue Reading »

US Senate committee passes bipartisan US-Israel Energy Cooperation Enhancement Bill

 

The new Cooperation Enhancement Bill designed to foster partnership on developing natural gas, alternative fuels on academic, business & governmental levels.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, The US is “uniquely qualified to lead the effort to help Israel develop” its new-found hydrocarbon resources.

 

 

The United States Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday passed a bipartisan bill that aims to bolster collaborations between Israel and the US on energy issues.

A natural gas rig west of Haifa, Israel. - Photo: Albatross Aerial Perspective/AP

The Tamar gas rig off the coast of Israel – Photo: Albatross Aerial Perspective/AP

Led by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana), alongside Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Enhancement Bill hopes to foster partnerships on developing resources such as natural gas and alternative fuels, on academic, business and governmental levels. Continue Reading »

Knesset Member: ‘Infiltrators bill – a different prison by a euphemistic name’

 

Opposition MKs say ‘Infiltration Prevention Bill’ is flawed and unjust. Disperse them around the country.

MK Regev responds, ‘we need to stop this marching carnival, orchestrated by leftist organization and irresponsible MKs’

By Omri Efraim

The asylum seekers’ march on Thursday from the Holot detention facility towards Beersheba led to much criticism within the political arena. “The Immigration Authority is violating the bill initiated by the government, since if the facility is open – it can be exited and walked to Beersheba from,” claimed Knesset Member Dov Khenin. “Their behavior (Thursday) only proves what we have said all along – the government initiated a new prison under a euphemistic name.” Continue Reading »

Erekat: PA Ready for 12-Month Interim Deal – If Israel Meets Our 5 Demands First

PLO official claims PA ready for interim deal. The catch: meeting the PA’s demands on a number of key issues: designating borders, land swaps, security arrangements, Jerusalem, & “refugees”.

By Dalit Halevy, Tova Dvorin

 

Saeb Erekat, chief of the Palestinian Authority’s negotiating team, declared to journalists in Bethlehem Friday that the PA is ready to accept a 12-month interim deal with Israel – as long as demands regarding borders, land swaps, security arrangements, Jerusalem, and “refugees” are met.

“The deal is much more than a declaration of principles,” Erekat stated, “but it would need to turn into a [permanent] peace agreement after a short period of 6-12 months.” Continue Reading »

Report: Teheran has Assad smuggling weapons to Hezbollah via Iraq

 

The weapons transfer through Iraqi airports is done to avoid Israeli air strike on weapons convoys traveling from Syria to Lebanon.

By YASSER OKBI, THE POST CORRESPONDENT

 

 

 

Iran and Syria are reportedly smuggling weapons to Hezbollah through Iraqi airports, to avoid IDF attacks on weapons convoys crossing the border from Syria to Lebanon, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah reported.

Iranian weapons intercepted by Israeli commandos

Iranian weapons intercepted by Israeli commandos – Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

According to the report, this method of smuggling arms has been agreed on by the two sides two months ago.

A source in the Iraqi ruling party told the paper that while senior Iraqi officials aide Tehran and Damascus in smuggling weapons to Hezbollah, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unaware of it. Continue Reading »

White House Promises Veto as Senate Promotes New Iran Sanctions

Barack Obama threatened to use his veto  against any new legislation that would impose additional sanctions on Iran.

By Elad Benari

 

The White House on Thursday threatened to use its veto power against legislation that would impose new sanctions on Iran, as senators continued to promote such legislation in defiance of President Barack Obama.

Barack Obama – AFP photo

The threat came hours after a bipartisan group of senators filed a new Iran sanctions measure, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), would impose tougher sanctions on Tehran if it refuses to dismantle its contested nuclear program after the end of a six-month negotiating period. Continue Reading »