April 25, 2012 | 3:18 am

April 25, 2012

Posted by Shmuel Rosner

Sheldon Adelson (Photo: Reuters)

An eyewitness account of the 1948 battle for Jerusalem

Matti Friedman of the Times of Israel presents a glimpse into the journal of British ‎clergyman Hugh Jones, who remained in Jerusalem as the fight for control of the city ‎waged around him.  ‎

Report of a two-hour cease fire in the afternoon to enable dead to be ‎collected from the streets. As many as 40 Jewish dead reported to be lying ‎outside the New Gate after the attack on Friday last. Another very noisy night, ‎apparently an attack by Jews on the Old City, which began at midnight, ‎mainly directed on the Zion Gate, where 60 to 80 Jewish dead were reported ‎to have been left in the vicinity. A plane flew over several times during this ‎attack.‎

Berkley-Adelson feud has potential to alter politics on a national level

Sheldon Adelson’s long-running personal row with Democratic Senate hopeful ‎Shelley Berkley could see him pouring funds into her opponent’s campaign from his ‎national war chest of some $100 million, writes Anjeanette Damon in the Las Vegas ‎Sun. ‎

As a Democrat with strong union ties, Berkley never really saw eye-to-eye with ‎Adelson on politics. But the philosophical differences didn’t really become a problem ‎until he became more active politically and started spending money in races against ‎Berkley’s friends.‎

Why Do They Hate Us?‎

Writing in Foreign Policy, Egyptian activist Mona Eltahawy examines the oppression ‎of women in the Arab world, even in the wake of the Arab Spring. ‎

Name me an Arab country, and I’ll recite a litany of abuses fueled by a toxic mix of ‎culture and religion that few seem willing or able to disentangle lest they blaspheme ‎or offend. When more than 90 percent of ever-married women in Egypt—including ‎my mother and all but one of her six sisters—have had their genitals cut in the ‎name of modesty, then surely we must all blaspheme. When Egyptian women are ‎subjected to humiliating “virginity tests” merely for speaking out, it’s no time for ‎silence. ‎

The case for military intervention in ‎Syria

Writing in Christian Science Monitor, former NATO envoy Kurt Volker argues in favor of ‎intervention in Syria before a mass atrocity forces the US’ hand.  ‎

The moral principles arguing for intervention are already known: The Syrian government ‎is engaged in a systematic campaign of mass murder, seeking to kill anyone who dares ‎oppose it, in order to re-establish firm control. The state of Syria has a monopoly of ‎force – in the military, police, intelligence services, and secret police. The people are ‎standing up with great valor – but little capacity – to oppose such tyranny. Over 9,000 ‎people have been killed – though over a year’s time, not at once.‎

The Jewish Problem in America
‎
Ron Torossian of Algemeiner identifies what he believes is the greatest threat facing ‎American Jewry today. ‎

The larger problem is one of Jewish continuity. There are very few programs succeeding in ‎educating or exciting the next generation of American Jews. With rampant assimilation, ‎there is precious little leadership in American Jewry. While Newsweek makes a big deal ‎about their Top 50 Rabbis list, how many non-Orthodox do they truly reach, and even ‎amongst those they do reach, how many of their children will be Jewish in America one or ‎two generations from today? How many American Jews have any clue who Abe Foxman or ‎any of the other so-called Jewish “leaders” are?‎

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