January 31, 2013 | 3:59 am

This week in power: Barak comments, Argentina probe, Birth control revelation, Blood libel cartoon

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Barak interview
Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak said in an interview last week that the Pentagon "had prepared sophisticated blueprints for a surgical operation to set back Iran’s nuclear program should the United States decide to attack — a statement that was a possible indication that Israel might have shelved any plans for a unilateral strike, at least for now," reported The New York Times. In addition, he said that the killins in Syria should be a warning to everyone else that you can't turn to any of your neighbors or friends for support and a country must care about its own future first. “We of course prefer that some morning we wake up and see that the Arab Spring was translated into Farsi and jumped over the Gulf to the streets of Tehran,” he said. “But you cannot build a plan on it.”

Crying about Argentina
Israel is objecting to a joint investigation between Iran and Argentina over the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center that killed 85 people in Buenos Aires. Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon compared it to “inviting a murderer to investigate the killings he committed.” Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, on the other hand, called the agreement "historic", saying it guaranteed "the right to due process of law, a fundamental principle of international criminal law."

Immigrant outrage
Israel admitted this week that it has secretly been giving Ethiopian Jewish immigrants birth-control injections, according to reports. It cxame after an investigation revealed more than 30 women from Ethiopia who came forward. The drug in question is thought to be Depo-Provera. "One imagines that if it were well-heeled immigrants from America as opposed to poor Africans from Ethiopia at the center of the scandal then getting to the bottom of it would be something of a state priority," said Nathan Jeffay at The Jewish Daily Forward. "This case should be sparking concerns about other areas in policy and society where racism is allowed to pass unchecked," said S.E. Smith at Care2.

Objectionable cartoon
On Holocaust Memorial Day last week, the Sunday Times ran a cartoon that upset many people for "not simply treading the fine line between criticism and blood libel, but indeed spitting all over it, leaving it for dust, and careering head first into anti-Semitismsville," according to Raheem Kassam at The Commentator. After the controversy arose, Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. owns the publication, apologized for what he called a "grotesque" cartoon of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Sunday Times said it was "a criticism of Netanyahu, and not of the Jewish people: there was no slight whatsoever intended against them."

Off 'The Voice'
"We like to encourage young people to develop their natural talents and follow their dreams," said Renee Ghert-Zand at The Jewish Daily Forward. "But that’s not necessarily how things work in some sectors of Israeli society." This week, Israeli "The Voice" contestant Ophir Ben-Shetreet, 17, has been punished for or showing off her voice on the international singing competition. Her community and school argue that Ophir shouldn't be singing in public at all and that it's immodest and in violation of Jewish law. "I wish her success, not because I think she is doing the right thing or that she hasnt compromised on something a religious girl should not compromise on, but because we are given free will and free choice," said one blogger. "I always wish everyone well when they choose to do something knowing the consequences, even if from a religious perspective it looks to me like they are making the wrong choice."

January 24, 2013 | 4:11 am

This week in power: Election results, Weberman verdict, Concert canceled, MLK Day message

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Netanyahu reelected
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kept his seat as a result of Tuesday's election, but he's been severely weakened, according to reports. Now he has to "fashion a coalition that will also accommodate the rising hawkish wing of his Likud party and other rightist and religious parties that will remain influential in parliament," said The Washington Post. "The prospect for a two-state solution has never looked worse. The irony is that Bibi Netanyahu will go down in history as the leader who destroyed the Jewish identity of Israel," said MSNBC's Rula Jebreal. Nobody has forgotten how Netanyahu tried to single-handedly push the topic of Iran into American politics in recent months, said Roger Cohen at The New York Times. "This was an attempt to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. It infuriated many world leaders. It isolated Israel. It did not work — not with Obama and not with Israelis who want to be leveled with. Think again, Bibi."

Bennett's momentum
The other big story from Tuesday's election was the far-right Jewish Home party winning more seats in parliament. Still, their leader, Naftali Bennett, called it a "disaster," as he had hoped to gain more power than the party did. The peace process is front and center on everyone's minds. "This generation, and Israeli society as a whole, has lost hope in peace and has begun searching for other solutions, even ones as unviable as Bennett’s," said Gabriel Fisher at The Daily Beast. "Whereas it was once informed by the collectivist ethos handed down from the first, pioneering generation of Israeli state-builders, the Zionism of Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett is rooted in something much more primal: fear," said Matt Hill at The Daily Telegraph. "Like all demagogues, Netanyahu (who is sure to remain prime minister after the vote) knows the value of fear, and has spent the last four years frightening his people with the spectre of Iranian nukes, Palestinian terror and international anti-semitism."

Abuse case trial
The trial of therapist Nechemya Weberman, who was accised of sexually abusing a child, ended this week with Weberman being sentenced to 103 years in prison. He is a member of the Satmar Hasidic community in New York, a sect notorious for covering up similar abuses within its community. “The message should go out to all victims of sexual abuse that your cries will be heard and justice will be done,” Justice John G. Ingram said when announcing the verdict. Members fo the Satmar community were reportedly surprised by the length of the sentence that came down.

Losing Lollapalooza
The music festival that put its name on the map in America and was set to bring its theatrics to Tel Aviv this summer is no longer after Lollapalooza was canceled. It hit South America in recent years and was planning to expand to include Israel. No reason was immediately given for the cancellation. As tempers flare overseas, "it'll be interesting to see whether the temperature in the Mideast drops enough to allow a Lolla offshoot in the future — or, tragically, continues rising," said Marc Hogan at Spin. Jews around the world who intended to fly in for the festivities are bummed. "We will pour out some of our Manischewitz while mourning your loss, Israel," said one blogger.

What MLK meant
On Monday, American celebrated the passing of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. "It can well be said that the significant role Jews played in the civil rights movement half a century ago was an important contributing factor to the eventual election of an African-American as president of the United States," said Marc Schneier at The Jewish Daily Forward. "We can only speculate how, had he lived, Dr. King might have helped heal the divisions between Jews and African-Americans - or even the contributions he could have made toward achieving Middle East peace," added Staurt Appelbaum at the Jewish Journal. A legend lost.

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January 17, 2013 | 4:36 am

This week in power: Upcoming election, Morsi’s comments, Russia ad, Jew slang

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Election guide
"Although most people expect Netanyahu to form the next government, the make-up of the Knesset could change significantly. Thirty-four parties have filed to run, including several new parties," reported Jodie Cohen in The Australian Jewish News. Cohen offers a helpful guide to keeping up with all the players and implications of the upcoming election. Not everyone is thrilled: "Bibi’s new government will build more settlements, will continue to undermine Palestinian moderate Mahmud Abbas (Abu-Mazen,) and will hunker down behind our separation fence, while proclaiming that the whole world is against us. This nightmare doesn’t have to happen, but sadly it is the most likely outcome of our elections on January 22," said Daniel Gavron at The Daily Beast. But the road to Middle East peace is still problematic, said Bloomberg's Jeffrey Goldberg. "So far, though, there has been no sign that the Israeli government is gaining a better understanding of the world in which it lives."

Morsi mouths off
It was revealed that Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi made some remarks about Jews in 2010 while a member of the Muslim Brotherhood that many have condemned. Morsi called them "bloodsuckers" and "descendants of apes and pigs." Outrage has followed. "Teaching children to hate and dehumanizing one’s adversaries is just the kind of twisted mentality that fuels the conflicts that torment the region," said a New York Times editorial. And it might have bearing on how Morsi acts today, added a Los Angeles Times editorial. "Still, even if Morsi is more circumspect as president than he was as a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, his words captured on videotape are a reminder that old and ugly animosities are alive in the new Egypt."

Jews with guns?
It's an uncomfortable subject for many Jews to consider, but guns are inside their community, too, according to reports. Since the Newtown, Connecticut, shooting last month, Americans have grappled with the difficult conversation about gun control. "To many Jewish gun enthusiasts, however, history provides ample justification for arming civilians and refusing to rely solely on police protection. They routinely invoke the powerlessness of Jews during the Holocaust and the current security threats to Jewish institutions, and are dumbfounded by Jews who favor gun control," acknowledged JTA. Even those who ahve guns don't expect to have to use them. One gun owner told the Washington Jewish Week, "I do it for defensive reasons in the event that I have to use a gun, which I never have, thank God."

Ad riles Russians
Some Russian-speaking immigrants complained about a TV commercial featurng a Jewish man expressesing horror upon the discovery that his bride is not Jewish. The female character is supposed to be Russian. Moreoever, it was an ad run by the religious Shas party. "These halakhicly non-Jewish Russians were not told before immigrating that they would be treated as second class citizens because of it. Yet many are," said one blogger. After the pushback, the ad was pulled.

"Jew" cool
Well, this is a new one. Dutch teenagers are using the word “Jew” as a substitute for “cool” or “awesome” in English, according to JTA. “One is at first unsettled by it. The word Jew is still a slightly sensitive issue if used improperly,” wrote a researcher about the new slang term. How it happened is anyone's guess. It's delighting many. "Now, in fairness, it doesn’t look like this linguistic revolution has made it past the boarders into the rest of Europe. But, it’s pretty clear that the Dutch, known for being forward-looking tastemakers (When it comes to smoking grass and riding bikes, Amsterdam leaves San Francisco in the dust) are simply early adopters of what’s sure to be a world-wide phenomenon," said a Heeb blogger.

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January 10, 2013 | 5:08 am

This week in power: Hagel pick, Syria fence, Palestine name, Czech prez

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

It's Hagel
After weeks of speculation and debate, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel was tapped as the new Secretary of Defense for what the Obama administration said were "mundane reasons." Others chimed in: "Hagel has incurred the wrath of the same hawkish 'pro-Israel' forces whose influence he was rash enough to acknowledge. He has done, in short, exactly what people who aspire to jobs like secretary of defense in Democratic administrations learn not to do," said Peter Beinart at The Daily Beast. And his reputation isn't accurate, said Jeffrey Golberg at Bloomberg. "There is nothing in Hagel’s record to suggest that he scapegoats Jews and Israel in the Walt manner -- Hagel has argued, in fact, that the U.S. invasion of Iraq was motivated by oil -- and there is nothing in his record to suggest he will try to persuade Obama to separate the U.S. from Israel in any meaningful way," he said. "Hagel, like Obama, is a quiet strong friend of Israel. The movement against him is a relic of a binary with-Israel or against-Israel vision that does not have the true interests of Israel or the United States at heart," Roger Cohen at The New York Times added.

Syria fence
As violence ramps up in Syria's civil war, Israel hopes to build a fence along the border with the neighboring country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the construction of a 143-mile fence during his weekly address: "We intend to erect an identical fence, with a few changes based on the actual territory, along the Golan Heights. We know that on (the) other side of our border with Syria today, the Syrian army has moved away, and in its place, global jihad forces have moved in." To this point, Fox News noted, Israel has largely stayed out of the conflict. This measure would drastically change things. Stay tuned.

Calling it Palestine
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced this week that his Palestinian Authority will be called the "State of Palestine" from now on, according to reports. All documents will get a new logo and rebranding to mark the change. "So, is the move itself a passport to a new reality for the Palestinians or merely a symbolic gesture?" Al Jazeera asked. "In sum, this is another bit of evidence that the Palestinian Authority is operating in a world of symbolism, threats and public relations stunts which slough off the authority’s obligations and finger-point at Israel, trying to make settlements once again the excuse for not negotiating," a State Department spokeswoman said. Others see a bigger impact here. "The move marks a step towards sovereignty and independence, developments Palestine has long deserved," said Amelia Smith at Middle East Monitor.

'Czech Joe Lieberman'
Is the Czech Republic on the verge of becoming the first European country to elect a Jewish president? It looks possible with Jan Fischer running toward the top of national polls with another former government head. It'll be decided this weekend. "He's like our Joe Lieberman,” said a Jewish leader. “Whether or not you support him, you can't help but be proud he has come this far.” Some are dubious about the chances. "One analyst, Miroslav Mares, says The Monitor pointed out that the polls had been wrong during other presidential elections," according to reports. But Fischer may be up against stiff opposition, reported JTA: "If there is a shadow hanging over Fischer in the eyes of Czech voters, it is not his religion but his former membership in the Communist Party. Fischer says he joined under pressure to keep his job as a public employee and has publicly apologized for the decision."

Ping pong protest
A young Orthodox Jewish girl from New York made national headlines when she decided to opt out of her table tennis tournament when she was scheduled to play one of her matches on the Sabbath. Estee Ackerman chose to sit out once she had advanced at the 2012 U.S. National Table Tennis Championships in Las Vegas. "I advanced in my round robin and then we looked at my schedule and saw the next match would be during Friday night, which is our Sabbath, so of course I'm disappointed," Ackerman told The New York Post. Her father said that the competition's organizers did a "very good job" in spite of Estee's disappointment and handled the situation well. Estee is now hard at work training for the next one.

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January 3, 2013 | 3:53 am

This week in power: Bennett, Hitler statue, Dermer, Jewish legacy

Posted by Danny Groner

Naftali Bennett

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Rising star
Naftali Bennett is making a name for himself as well as his party among Israel's national religious bloc. Bennett's Jewish Home partyis reportedly making a run at seats that would otherwise go to Likud or other political factions. No matter, he's recharged the party. "Bennett is different. He doesn’t play by the rules that have characterized the ruthless political game. His elbows are not sharp, and his tongue lacks the bitter taste of fury unleashed at anyone who differs. He is simply there. He is not in the race in pursuit of power for its own sake, or doped to the eyeballs with self-importance," said Moshe Dann in The Jerusalem Post. Others have qualms about him. "My main problem with Bennett is that regarding political issues I am convinced that if he were prime minister he would lead Israel straight into a brick wall," said Susan Hattis Rolef, also in The Jerusalem Post.

Hitler at Warsaw?
A statue of a Adolf Hitler kneeling in prayer in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, Poland, has caused an uproar. Artist-provocateur Maurizio Cattelan made the statue as part of an exhibit at the Center for Contemporary Art. Viewers can see the statue's back through a hole in the fence's gate. As far as the Jews were concerned, Hitler's only 'prayer' was that they be wiped off the face of the earth," said one Jewish leader. Others disagreed: "The meaning of art, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. The praying- Hitler statue could be seen as representing his punishment. Condemned to pray at a major scene of his satanic crimes for all eternity," said a letter writer to the Toronto Star.

Dermer rumor
Rumors surfaced last week that Ron Dermer, an adviser to Bejamin Netanyahu, would be the pick to replace Michael Oren as Israel’s ambassador to the United States. The Israeli Embassy denied the report days later. Still, it was enough to get people talking about Dermer's qualifications for the job. “He understands how Americans view Israelis and how Israelis view Americans,” an Israeli pollster told JTA. “He knows how to work [in Washington] and has personal relations.” Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo added that "it’s generally seen as a bad step to appoint to an ambassador who is seen as being openly hostile to the head of state in the home country. It sounds like another case of the profound damage Netanyahu is doing to Israel by his stance toward the country’s primary and perhaps soon only major ally."

Broadway show
Jews have a long tradition on Broadway and that was celebrated this week with a special on public television in a special called "Great Performances -- Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy." It got rave reviews. "We don't need to know the direct line from the Gershwins' 'Ain't Necessarily So' to Torah liturgy to appreciate the work. But it will be hard to hear it again without appreciating the connections," said Newsday's Linda Winer. "Jews and blacks shared a sense of being outsiders, and the reason their musical idioms form the basis of what we consider quintessential American music is that, chronic political xenophobia notwithstanding, we are a nation of outsiders, founded by Europeans and over the centuries, serving as a melting pot of people from other countries and cultures," wrote David Wiegand in The Houston Chronicle.

Looking ahead
We marked the start of 2013 this week, so what's in store this year? "In 2013, look for continued growth in sales of Jewish books and ritual objects, a continued burst of new Jewish literature and art, and continued tussling among rival Jewish factions over their diverse visions," said J.J. Goldberg at The Jewish Daily Forward. "Also rumored for the Cabinet: Jack Lew, Obama’s Jewish chief of staff, who is believed to be a frontrunner to succeed Timothy Geithner as the Treasury Deptartment secretary," said JTA. Others have specific goals, and wishes: "Where are we headed? What will young Zionist and Jewish leaders look like in 2013? Will the two sides of the same coin move in different or even opposite directions? Will they converge? It’s hard to tell at this point. But there’s room for optimism," said Avi Zimmerman at Times of Israel.

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