Middle East

Israel and the Palestinians: Messy, But Perhaps Stable

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — Israel’s relations with the Palestinians are truly messy. But they may last. How long? Who knows? Except with Gaza, there are no firm borders. Israel’s settlements, much beyond east Jerusalem, spread into the West Bank. Israel also enters the Palestinian areas in order to deal with individuals who threaten […]

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Opinion

Israel’s Weizmann Institute Joins NASA Planetary Defense Exercise

(JNS) Representatives from the Weizmann Institute’s Physics Faculty in Rehovot joined more than 100 astronomers worldwide in a recent NASA planetary defense exercise. As part of the exercise, David Polishook, a member of the faculty and also director of Weizmann’s observatory, deleted a previously detected “near-Earth object” asteroid from the asteroid database, to see if

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Tel Aviv: Israel’s Playground

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — To start with, Tel Aviv features the Mediterranean Sea, with its long sandy beaches, kept relatively clean by the municipality, with designated areas for people to play games (ah, the dreaded “matkot” with their constant noisy batting to and fro of a ball against wooden bats), another area

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, Travel and Food

Novel Incorporates Vignettes about Patrons of a Jerusalem Café

Ehrlich’s Café Shira is an imaginative series of vignettes that take place in an establishment much like Café Tmol Shilshom, wherein the regulars at each table have their own stories. Sometimes they are interwoven with the stories of waitresses Rutha and Rona and café owner Avigdor; other times, they are in a world of their own, made known to us only by the remarkable insight and intuition of the hard-working, extremely empathetic Rutha. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Middle East

The Landscape Surrounding Guns in the US, Israel, and the Disputed Territories

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D   JERUSALEM — Americans are not quiet about Israel and the disputed territories. Neither are they quiet about gun deaths in their own country. Are the cases similar? No. Details, history, and explanations vary. But they are similar in reflecting serious problems. Neither country is perfect. Both have their defenders who

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Opinion, USA

From Jerusalem to Shusha: Jewish and Muslim Allies Can Stand Together

By Jacob Kamaras (JNS) With the latest wave of Palestinian terrorism, the tensions that surround the Temple Mount and the firestorm of unverified allegations against Israel that followed the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, the leadup to this year’s observance of Jerusalem Day on May 28-29 has been tumultuous. Yet as they

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International, Jacob Kamaras, Middle East, Opinion, USA

Israel, Turkey to Strengthen Ties After Meeting of Foreign Ministers

Published by DPA Israel and Turkey want to strengthen their economic ties through diplomatic rapprochement, the countries’ foreign ministers said at a historic meeting on Wednesday. Closer cooperation could also help to better deal with differences of opinion, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said at a meeting with his counterpart Yair Lapid in Jerusalem. Çavuşoğlu

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Middle East

American Nakba

By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — A new play to top the absurdity of “Springtime for Hitler:” “Rashida Resurrects the Nakba Legacy.” Or, “A Night at the Nakba.” Leave it to Rep. Rashida Tlaib to inspire a play that ennobles and validates the Arab failure to massacre Israel’s Jews 74 years ago — through America’s

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Bruce Ticker, International, Middle East, Opinion, USA

Graduate Students Convene to Discuss Integral Role of Israel in Contemporary Jewish Life

(JNS Wire) A group of 71 graduate students from North America and Israel came together at Eaglewood Resort & Spa in Itasca, IL, as part of The iCenter’s Master’s Concentration in Israel Education program, iFellows, which nurtures and challenges the next generation of knowledgeable and passionate educational leaders committed to the integral role of Israel

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Can the Current Israeli Government Survive?

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D   JERUSALEM — An Arab woman, a member of Meretz, announced her resignation from the government. Her situation is complex. She’s not likely to be attracted to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and she’s not committing herself to vote to disband the government. She indicates that the government hasn’t done enough

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Opinion

Forget the Two State Solution Already!

By Steve Kramer KFAR SABA, Israel — On May 18, The Jerusalem Post published an editorial entitled “Israel cannot abandon the two state solution.” The subtitle of the editorial is: It is time for Israel to strengthen its ties with moderate Palestinians [actually, Palestinian Arabs] and keep cooperating with pragmatic Israeli-Arabs. Unfortunately there are few

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Middle East, Opinion, Steve Kramer

San Diego Jewish Academy Students Return from 3-Week Experiential Trip to Israel

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — San Diego Jewish Academy high school seniors traveled to Israel for 3 weeks of learning and touring the country through the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program (AMHSI). The travel experience included seniors being in Israel for Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of

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Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education