USA

U.S. donates $40 million for Palestinian refugee relief

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — The United States HAS announced  that it is making an initial contribution of $40 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to support UNRWA’s regular budget and emergency programs in the West Bank and Gaza. The $40 million contribution will provide […]

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USA

American Wealth and International Affairs

By Ira Sharkansky   JERUSALEM–Money, money everywhere, but not enough. That’s the message from the massive deficit already apparent and projected for the United States. It comes from too many wars, too many tax cuts, too many entitlement programs, and too much exploitation by highly paid capitalists who forced the government into unprecedented bail-outs. Who’s

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Berlusconi's plea to Israel to return Golan Heights to Syria not likely to win compliance

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The front page headline of Ha’aretz is that Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, about to visit Israel, comes with a recommendation that giving up the Golan would add to Israel’s status in international politics. Italy is a great place to visit. The food and wine are first class, the clothes and shoes

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Middle East, USA

Evidence of Palestinian corruption should put brakes on U.S. Mideast push

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Here is something that President Obama and his advisers should consider before spending any more of their time nudging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to negotiate a peace. http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=167194 The details are not entirely clear, but reinforce the larger story of corruption in high places of the Palestine Authority, the lack

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Obama's State of the Union proves again he's a speaker, but can he also be a doer?

JERUSALEM–President Obama’s State of the Union address dealt almost entirely with domestic issues, despite American troops active in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and now Yemen, as well as highly touted efforts with respect to Israel-Palestine and Iran. Also, the focus was heavily on the economy, and lightly on what had been his iconic health initiative. The

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Aid to Gaza and to Haiti

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C.–The suggestion by Gaza Palestinians that they were most attuned to Haitian suffering because-after all-they had suffered an Israeli “earthquake” was a disgusting attempt to equate self-inflicted ruin as a result of terrorism against Israel with the horrifying natural disaster that befell the Haitians. Nevertheless, it appears to have prompted a

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Middle East, USA

Abdulmutallab belongs in military custody — Senators Lieberman and Collins

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, Independent-Connecticut., and Ranking Member Susan Collins, Republican-Maine., urged the Obama Administration Monday to move Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab from civilian to military custody because he is an enemy combatant and should be detained, interrogated and ultimately charged as such.  Abdulmutallab, who is

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USA

Music and diary revive dark feelings of Shoah

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –No, not the conductor, Otto Klemperer, but his cousin, Viktor, Professor of Romance Languages at Dresden University. Most of Viktor’s extended family had left Germany for the US well before 1939, but Viktor had no children, was married to a non-Jew, had fought in the German army in the

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, USA

Just how 'enlightened' is Europe?

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–One of my internet friends objects to my calling Europe the enlightened continent. “What in the blazes are you talking about.? Europe, the hot-bed of modern antisemitism…enlightened? The Netherlands with a de facto, maybe de jure euthanasia policy! France being so overrun with rebellious Muslims that there are scores of areas throughout the country

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

El Al passenger recovers $50,000 in jewelry

NEW YORK (Press Releazse)– EL AL Israel Airlines turned one New York woman’s panic into relief after a forgotten backpack containing $50,000 worth of jewelry and irreplaceable business documents was discovered and safely returned by EL AL employees.  Upon arrival from Israel into JFK International Airport, the EL AL passenger accidentally left her backpack at

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Middle East, USA