Donald H. Harrison

Sharansky: Final mass Ethiopian aliyah in the works; will Marranos be next?

-second in a series– By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – – Even as a program is pending to complete massive immigration to Israel from Ethiopia, Natan Sharansky, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, is pondering how Israel will react if other communities around the world that were forced to convert from Judaism to […]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East

Their anti-Semitic rants are too damn high-strung

 By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA–Rick Sanchez is a bungler when it comes to anti-Semitic rantings, as compared to a New York gubernatorial hopeful, a Boston archbishop and a suburban Philadelphia English professor. After the Cuban-American CNN anchor was fired over offensive comments, these professional anti-Semites shamed him with their anti-Jewish slurs. One blamed the Jews

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USA

How has U.S. policy toward Hamas and the Gaza Strip turned around 360 degrees?

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — A reader asks what I meant when I wrote: “Should I mention the total reversal of U.S. policy on Hamas from trying to undermine that radical Islamist group’s rule in the Gaza Strip to believing Hamas will fall if Gaza becomes prosperous?” Here’s my answer: From the time Hamas

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Middle East, USA

U.S. to participate in conference on diamonds in Tel Aviv

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–The Department of State issued the following announcement on Friday, Oct. 29: Assistant Secretary for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Jose Fernandez will travel to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem from October 31 to November 6, 2010. The Assistant Secretary will participate in the Plenary Meeting of the Kimberley Process (KP). The KP

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Middle East

Obama orders additional screening of cargo in wake of terrorist package bomb threat

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– President Barack Obama made the following statement on Friday, Oct. 29, about packages with explosives overseas terrorists are believed to be mailing to the United States: THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I want to briefly update the American people on a credible terrorist threat against our country, and the actions that

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USA

Muslim cleric’s interview tells of radical’s frustration with other Muslims

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — An Egyptian Islamist cleric named Ibrahim al-Khouli is interviewed on television, with translation by MEMRI. What can we learn from his words? A lot. “What is the nature of our relations with [the West]? They are relations of Crusader aggression against the land of Islam–in Afghanistan, in Iraq, which

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Middle East

Union for Reform Judaism comes to aid of Haiti’s cholera victims

NEW YORK (Press Release)– The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), in partnership with the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), has announced an emergency grant to Partners In Health to address the cholera epidemic in Haiti. “Prevention and treatment for thousands will be accelerated as a result of this grant,” said Partners in Health’s Vice

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Travel and Food

ADL sends condolences on death of former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner

NEW YORK (Press Release)–The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) expressed its deepest condolences to the president and people of Argentina on the death of Nestor Kirchner, the country’s former president and a great Argentinean leader. “Nestor Kirchner’s distinguished service to Argentina and Latin America leaves an enduring legacy,” said Robert G. Sugarman, ADL National Chair, and Abraham

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Travel and Food

ADL issues warning about suspicious packages sent to Jewish institutions

By Heather FrankSAN DIEGO — As news reports are indicating, and as ADL has learned from law enforcement sources, there is a reported threat to US Jewish institutions from packages mailed from overseas, particularly Great Britain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.  We are urging US Jewish communal institutions to increase mailroom security by ensuring that all packages

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USA

Kennedy and 9/11 monuments in Israel are in out-of-the-way places

  By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–A cousin is visiting from the Old Country. He is a patriot, proud of America’s accomplishments and sensitive to its pains. He asked to visit Israel’s monument to 9-11. Here in Israel? Oh yes. There was something about a dedication ceremony several months ago. How to find it? Googling found a

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Ira Sharkansky

Jews have something far more precious than rings

By Rabbi Baruch Ledeman SAN DIEGO — Rivkah was the perfect wife for Yitzchok because she possessed chessed (loving kindness).   Caring kindness and sensitivity to others, are hallmarks of the Jewish people as the  following true story, documented in  A Mother’s Favorte Stories by Sheina Medwed, illustrates:   Beth Shapiro was shopping with her elderly

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Jewish Religion

U.S. media’s Middle East reporting is naive. Ya think?

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –If you’ve lost faith in the current administration’s ability and mass media’s ability to respond to Middle East developments, here’s more evidence. There’s a relatively new American idiomatic expression, “Ya [you] think?” Said sarcastically, it means: Wow, duh, the answer to that question is really obvious! So consider how hidden,

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Middle East, USA

Israel Film Festival celebrates silver anniversary in Beverly Hills gala

  BEVERLY HILLS, California (Press Release) — A packed crowd of Hollywood luminaries joined in saluting Israel and Israel Film Festival’s 25th Anniversary Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel  for the launch of this year’s festival which runs now through November 4th in Los Angeles with a special Closing Night presentation of two films on November 7. 

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Travel and Food