By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The pressure is building, both on Israel and the Palestinians. The immediate issue is the freeze on building in the settlements, set to expire in about a week. Various Palestinians have said, time and again, that they would cease the peace talks if there is construction of even one building […]
Looming expiration of building freeze a crisis for Mideast talks Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM — I know most Jews call Yom Kippur by other names, but here in Jerusalem, it’s the Day of No Traffic Lights. There are no traffic lights because there’s no traffic on Yom Kippur in Jerusalem. The city just turns off the lights for 25 hours. Imagine—an entire country without
Jerusalem spends a day without traffic lights Read More »
Middle East, Travel and FoodBy Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — “Everybody loses if there is no peace.” So stated Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the White House to herald the revival of peace talks. Too bad Israeli troops were not around to keep the peace the night before on the road to the West Bank settlement of Beit Hagal.
Commentary: A crucial settlement concern Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –On the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War and the yartzeit this month of more than 2,500 Israel soldiers who gave their lives in a war for the very survival of the State and the protection of their homes and families, the United States has nearly completed the turn of
U.S. has turned 180 degrees in its Israel policy Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
LA JOLLA, California (Press Release) — A free lecture about Israel’s struggle for peace and legitimacy will feature Middle East expert, Professor Barry Rubin, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, at the Sherwood Auditorium at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Rubin is the Director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center at the Interdisciplinary
Israeli commentator Barry Rubin to lecture Oct. 14 in La Jolla Read More »
Middle EastAMMAN, Jordan (Press Release)– U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh met with the news media on Thursday to discuss the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (In progress) here in Amman today. Secretary Clinton is a longtime friend of Jordan, a distinguished and remarkable international
Hillary Clinton and Nasser Judeh upbeat about peace process Read More »
Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release)–Eight of America’s top universities will launch study abroad programs in Israel in 2011 and 2012 as part of a new initiative to encourage study abroad and academic exchange with Israel. In an effort to increase the number of overseas students who choose to experience Israel, Masa Israel Journey is working to
Eight universities to develop study programs in Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–After doubtful claims of success in Iraq, and clearer failure in Afghanistan, the United States is tackling the problematical task of picking the good guys in Yemen. Maybe not the good guys. Hopefully the best guys, or those who score least bad on the score of unreliability. Or more likely, those who
Commentary: U.S. Mideast record not comforting close to the action Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastJERUSALEM (Press Release) — U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell met with journalists on Wednesday, September 15, in Jerusalem, and provided the following information: MITCHELL: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize for the delay, but it’s the result of the fact that a serious and substantive discussion is well underway. The trilateral discussion this evening
Mitchell: Mideast talks 'serious and substantive' Read More »
Middle East, USABy Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM–In the days before Yom Kippur, thousands of Torah observant Israelis rush to finish the ritual of kapparot, where human sins are symbolically transferred to a fowl–generally a chicken. It’s a custom that does not appear anywhere in the Talmud, but whose origin seems to come courtesy of several 9th century
As Yom Kippur approaches in Jerusalem… Read More »
Middle East, Travel and FoodJERUSALEM (Press Release)–Israel’s President Shimon Peres and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met the media together on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Here is a transcript of their comments. PRESIDENT PERES: Mrs. Secretary of State, ladies and gentlemen, I must admit I knew the Secretary of State a long time when she was called Hillary, and already
Peres and Clinton meet the media Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with news media while flying on Tuesday to Sharm el Sheikh for the second round of the Middle East peace talks, and U.S. Middle East Envoy spoke to the media in Sharm el Sheikh after the meeting of Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
Clinton and Mitchell brief the media on Mideast talks Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The conflict between Israel and Palestine is one of the most prominent of the world’s unsolved problems. The casualties are small in relation to what occurs wherever the United States military is directly involved. It is the location in the land considered holy by contending faiths, and the weight of Arab onlookers
Questions about Palestinian sincerity obstacles to Mideast peace Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release)–The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has condemned TIME Magazine for the anti-Semitic and misleading cover/article in its September 13, 2010 issue, falsely claiming Israel doesn’t care about peace, while ignoring the reality of Palestinians having repeatedly rejected every extraordinary peace deal Israel has offered. Not only do they reject peace offers,
ZOA challenges TIME magazine to debate on Israel Read More »
Middle East