International

Some hard realities of negotiations and politics

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–In response to a recent column, an American friend wrote the following:   “In other words, you are saying that the Israeli gesture is not a good faith effort to restart peace talks. Isn’t that what the Israelis have done before when they offered “concessions” they knew were inadequate and not acceptable

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

New Lebanese government endorses Hezbollah fight against Israel

BEIRUT (WJC)–Lebanon’s new unity government has adopted a policy that recognizes the Shiite paramilitary group Hezbollah’s right to use arms against Israel, in spite of UN resolutions calling for its complete disarming. The text adopted by the Cabinet reaffirms right of “Lebanon, its government, its people, its army and its resistance” to liberate all Lebanese

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Middle East, USA

Abbas recruits Chile's President Bachelet to anti-settlements cause

JERUSALEM (WJC)–Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a 10-month settlement construction  freeze will not include Israeli’s “sovereign capital” of Jerusalem, including the eastern parts of the city captured in 1967. The moratorium would also not apply to construction already started or authorized in the West Bank, as well as buildings to allow the 300,000

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Middle East

European Jewish Congress lobbies Kremlin against sale of missiles to Iran

MOSCOW (WJC)–At a meeting at the Kremlin President Dmitry Medvedev, leaders of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) asked Russia not to sell the S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran and to push for new sanctions against the regime in Tehran. “We asked that Russia stop supplying the S-300 to Iran,” said EJC President Moshe Kantor after

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Middle East, USA

Cookbook features world's kosher cuisine

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School has devised a delicious corollary to this publication’s motto that “there is a Jewish story everywhere.”  Gourmets may like the Orthodox school’s saying even better: “There’s great kosher food everywhere.” Coming out next week, in plenty of time for the December 11th first evening

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, USA

At 104, Laura Simon worries for her aging children

LAURA SIMON—She’s 104 on Thanksgiving Day ___________________________________________________ By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Among the celebrants of November birthdays at The Patrician senior residence in the University Towne Center area yesterday was Laura Simon, the oldest of them all.  Today, Thanksgiving, she turns 104. Simon smiled when Milica Todorivic, a member of the dining room staff,

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego Calendar, USA

Out of court settlement reached in case of school prohibiting church flyers

FORT MYERS, Florida (Press Release)— Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have reached a favorable settlement with the Collier County School Board on behalf of a local church barred from participating in a flier distribution program open to other community groups. In June, ADF attorneys filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Cypress Wood Presbyterian Church after

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USA

President Obama sends Hajj season greetings to world's Muslims

WASHINGTON, D.C.  (Press Release)–President Barack Obama on Wednesday sent the following message to Muslims around the world: “Michelle and I would like to send our best wishes to all those performing Hajj this year, and to Muslims in America and around the world who are celebrating Eid-ul-Adha.  The rituals of Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha both serve

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USA

Sara-N-Dipity Place: Some hidden history of Thanksgiving

By Sara Appel-Lennon SAN DIEGO–While researching Thanksgiving origins, I uncovered some hidden history. Many were taught that the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock in 1620. The meal served only a small part of the celebration. Originally Thanksgiving focused on prayer to offer thanks for a bountiful harvest. In Jewish tradition the festival

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USA

ZOA opposes construction freeze

NEW YORK (Press Release)–The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is opposed to the policy announced Wednesday in Jerusalem by the Israeli government to institute a freeze on all Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria for a ten month period. ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We would oppose freezing Jewish construction in any event,

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Middle East