Advertisement
- HOME
- Community Calendar
- Arts
- Calendar
- Education
- Food
- High Holy Days
- Israel
- Kids and Teens
- Los Angeles
- Obituaries
- Opinion
- Religion
- Singles
- Sports
- Special Sections
- Torah Portion
- U.S.
- World
NEWS from JTA
Advertisements
Jewish Journal Tags
Tag: Iran
View the most popular tags overall?
Latest video headlines from Israel
Video headlines from Israel. This feed from JerusalemOnline and Israel Channel 2 News updates automagically around 12 noon which is 10 p.m. in Israel
Anger greets Olmert’s concessions on Golan, West Bank, Iran
Israelis on the right and left were angered by Ehud Olmert's suggestion in an interview at the twilight of his term that Israel should cede virtually all its disputed land. Too little, too late, said the leftists. Too much, said the rightists.
UN Security Council reaffirms Iran sanctions
The U.N. Security Council reaffirmed existing sanctions against Iran but did not expand them.
VIDEO: Jewish Americans for Obama
Jewish friends, colleagues and supporters from Chicago say Barack Obama's Yiddishe neshumah -- Jewish soul -- makes him the right candidate. Official campaign video.
Ahmadinejad spews same old hate at U.N.
In a U.N. address replete with classical anti-Semitic motifs, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Zionists are criminals and murderers, are "acquisitive" and "deceitful," and dominate global finance despite their "minuscule" number.
Thousands protest Ahmadinejad in New York—no Clinton, no Palin [VIDEO]
Thousands of protesters filled Dag Hammarskjold Plaza opposite the United Nations for a rally against Iran's president, who came to New York to address the General Assembly
Politicizing Iran:
GOP spikes Obama sanctions bill, Dems scuttle Palin's rally gig
Republicans and Democrats are tussling over who should appear at an anti-Iran rally next week and who is responsible for the failure of sanctions legislation. Caught in the middle are the Jewish organizations that hoped presidential politicking would push forward -- not hinder -- efforts to isolate Iran.
Ahmadinejad at the UN: Palin, elected officials disinvited from rally amid controversy
Sarah Palin's invitation to a Jewish-sponsored rally to protest the Iranian president at the United Nations was revoked after controversy erupted over her participation.
Israel converts Ahmadinejad
Who you calling rebbetzin, why you dissing Palin, what college anti-Semitism?
" . . . I am just an average person that fits the person you describe in "Post-Palin Depression." I do not have a therapist, but I have been in depression for almost two weeks now . . . "
Jewish groups gear up for Ahmadinejad’s trip to N.Y.
With public shamings and private meetings, Jewish groups plan to press the issue of Iran at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly in New York
McCain and Obama campaigns focus on sanctions as Iran threat looms
The mounting anxiety over Iran's nuclear program is sparking campaign chatter over a possible Israeli strike and prompting a bipartisan effort to revive long-stalled sanctions legislation in the U.S. Congress
A self-proclaimed Zionist, Joe Biden is a friend of Israel
It would be far healthier for American democracy, as well as for our community, if we would reject the use of Israel as a partisan issue and look at the policy areas where candidates from the two major parties truly do differ.
Attack dog? Fresh meat? Quest for Jewish vote flips Biden and Palin roles
Republicans and Democrats campaigning for the Jewish vote have flipped the traditional role of the vice-presidential candidate from "attack dog" to fresh meat.
Comparing the lives of Sarah Palin and Queen Esther
Candidate Profile: Shaul Mofaz, the hawkish centrist
The general-turned-politician Shaul Mofaz may have Iran to thank if he wins the race for Kadima's leadership. An inveterate hawk in a centrist party, Mofaz is stressing his military credentials to deal with Israel's security challenges
McCain accepts nomination, offers little new on Israel, Iran
John McCain closed out the Republican convention Thursday night with a speech in which he defended traditional GOP policy points, while criticizing his party's recent performance and pledging to work with lawmakers across the aisle.
Biden, Palin lead campaign clash on Mideast
The two vice-presidential candidates led the way Wednesday as the Obama and McCain campaigns worked to draw clear battle lines on Iran and Israel.
Escape, exile, rebirth: Iranian Jewish diaspora alive and well in Los Angeles
Thirty years have passed since the massive and violent demonstrations against the Shah of Iran that began in September 1978, and for many, the start of that country's bloody revolution might seem a faded memory. Yet I have carried those shattering events with me all of my life: I was born on in Tehran on Sept. 11, 1978, as chaos unfolded on the streets outside
Boy proves key in getting grandparents into U.S.
The five got into a van and were driven to a tent in the middle of the desert, near the Pakistani border. By this time, my great-grandmother had realized that they were not headed for a vacation but instead were fleeing Iran, and she began loudly protesting.
Terrifying journey marks escape of widow and children
"It was one of the longest nights in my life.They kept telling me to go to sleep, but I just could not, because I had young girls with me. Then one of the smugglers came into the room and fell asleep at the entrance."
Joon
Since 1978, Iranian Jews have injected into a stable, maybe even staid Jewish community talent, industry, a profound connection to their Jewish roots and a desire to have a positive political and social impact on the city. They have energized a Jewish community that could always use invigorating.
Exile’s gains and losses
I don't know what will become of the legacy of Iranian Jews outside of Iran, how history will judge us in the context of the opportunities we had and the extent to which we helped make the world a better place with what we were given.
Iran is bombastic but Pakistan has the bomb
If you think Iran is scary, just consider what would happen if Islamic extremists took over Pakistan.
McCain surrogates likely to echo Bush on Iran and Israel
When it comes to Israel and how to deal with Iran, Republicans are happy to tout John McCain's consistency with the Bush presidency and his differences with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), his Democratic rival.
ANALYSIS: Sarah Palin . . . and the Jews
For Jews who are not necessarily Israel Firsters, she carries some positives and negatives. Positives: she is a crusader for good government and a fiscal conservative. She is smart and successful and patriotic. Jews like all these things.
Obama says GOP ‘tough talk’ doesn’t help Israel; Transcript of speech
"You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances ... "
Dems use speeches to hit GOP on Israel
Speaker after speaker at the Democratic convention on Wednesday night in Denver argued that GOP recklessness had emboldened Israel's enemies
Iran gets away with murder
In the summer of 1988, Iran put thousands of political prisoners to death after a desperate cease-fire agreement was reached to end the 1980-1988 war with Iraq.
Democratic platform sticks close to Jewish positions
When it comes to the Middle East and Sen. Barack Obama's Democratic Party platform, things are staying pretty much the same -- which, in this case, is the kind of change pro-Israel activists can believe in.
Biden and the Jews: Strong ties and friendly disagreements
Before he announced his vice presidential pick, Barack Obama said he wanted someone to spar with but who ultimately would be loyal enough to create a comfortable working relationship. No one knew then that he had picked Joe Biden, but his ISO ad fit Biden's relationship with the Jewish community perfectly
Thirteen million Jews worldwide don’t sign ‘don’t bomb Iran’ petition
From the people who brought you the Iraq war comes . . . The ALL NEW Cold War
Iranian snubs Israeli in Beijing
An Iranian swimmer refused to compete against his Israeli counterpart at the Beijing Olympics
Iran suspends death by stoning
Briefs: Syria and Israel talking again, Israeli colleges want Palestinian students
Why Iran should leave Israel alone
Obama world tour strikes gold
Obama sounds both hawkish and dovish themes in Israel, Jordan
During his stops in Jordan and Israel, presidential contender Barack Obama has stressed both his backing for tough Israeli security measures and his commitment to advancing the peace process
Attempt to pressure China on Darfur loses to the Olympics
Jewish groups have taken lead roles in drawing attention to China's policies and specifically sought to spotlight the country's record in advance of this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. Yet it appears as if China will suffer no significant international sanction when the games open Aug. 8
Iran, Israel and an anxious greeting for Obama
Ticking clock
Kuntar’s release reveals true evil of Iran’s regime
Briefs: Ahmadinejad to attend U.N. summit, Obama to visit PA, Israel
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans again to attend this year's summit at the United Nations in New York. His speech, Ahmadinejad said, will discuss "ruling the world based on justice."
Speaker Pelosi, Speaker Itzik talk tough on Iran at Hadassah conclave
Nancy Pelosi and Dalia Itzik, the speakers of their respective countries' legislatures, both talked tough on Iran during speeches to delegates at Hadassah's annual convention in Los Angeles.
AUDIO: The Jews of Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, India, China and Iran
Jewish communities that we don't hear very much about, in Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, India, China, Iraq and Iran
Iran flexes its military muscles … I mean, missiles
Briefs: Obama to visit Israel this month, Hezbollah swap inches forward
The presumptive Democratic Party candidate Sen. Barack Obama is expected to arrive in Israel on July 22 or 23 for a two- or three-day visit, Yediot Achronot reported.
The Jewish Vote: Bush, Israel and Iran
Leaks from Vice President Dick Cheney's office indicate that the veep does not favor an Israeli attack, only because Israel lacks sufficient force to eliminate the nuclear facilities. So Cheney is allegedly pushing within the administration for a U.S. attack.
Israel-Iran war talk blamed for oil price frenzy
Experts are saying that talk of an Israeli strike on Iran is a key part of what's unsettling already volatile oil markets.
The chickens, having come home, roost
2008: The contest for the Jews
In a society that has become less and less informed about politics and government, Jews remain a deeply attentive political community. Intensely concerned about Israel and the protection of the Jewish community, but alert to so much more, Jews offer a candidate a tough audience on policy
Iran files complaint over Mofaz threat, Hamas claims 2002 bombings
One-third of British Jews under age 18 are ultra-Orthodox, according to a new study. A study published Friday by the umbrella group of British Jewry, the Board of Deputies, found that the British haredi community has grown at an annual rate of about 4 percent over the last two decades
Israeli official: We’ll strike if Iran doesn’t drop nukes effort *
Olmert in D.C.: Iran talk, not goodbyes
Expressions of love, walks down memory lane, even the rain lashing Washington's monuments: The latest meeting between Ehud Olmert and George Bush played out like the end of a movie romance -- only the Israeli prime minister says he's not going anywhere because there is work to be done, especially when it comes to facing down Iran.
Plan ahead
Obama to AIPAC: War in Iraq has hurt Israel
"I have been proud to be a part of a strong, bi-partisan consensus that has stood by Israel in the face of all threats. That is a commitment that both John McCain and I share, because support for Israel in this country goes beyond party. But part of our commitment must be speaking up when Israel's security is at risk, and I don't think any of us can be satisfied that America's recent foreign policy has made Israel more secure"
AP VIDEO: Ahmadinejad—Israel will disappear from map
Ahmadinejad also called the U-S a satanic power... that with -- God's will -- would be annihilated
McCain raps Obama on Iran and Iraq at AIPAC
John McCain attacked Barack Obama’s Iran and Iraq policies in his address to the AIPAC policy conference.
Iran sanctions figure large in AIPAC lobbying
As 5,000 AIPAC activists ascend Capitol Hill this week, they will be pushing a multifaceted agenda with a clear bottom line: It's the sanctions, stupid.
McCain talks the hawk talk with Jeffrey Goldberg
U.S., Iran are obstacles in new Israel-Syria talks
Ahmadinejad wants audience with pope on first Eurotrip
Paradoxes characterize life in Israel
To be an Israeli at the time of the state's 60th anniversary means to be resigned to living with insoluble emotional and political paradoxes. It means living with a growing fear of mortality, even as we celebrate our ability to outlive every threat. We are almost certainly the only nation that marks its Independence Day with an annual poll that invariably includes the question: "Do you believe the country will still exist 50 years from now?"
Nation might not be safest but it’s the most interesting
Not too far from my home there's a street named for the German poet Heinrich Heine, a baptized Jew and metaphorical Marrano. Sometimes on Shabbat afternoons, I take a long Jerusalem walk with my son, soon to be a soldier, and Lizzie, our German shepherd, a breed of dog that in my wildest Diaspora dreams I could never imagine owning.
Briefs: Methodists don’t ‘divest,’ Jewish groups mobilize for Myanmar, Reno TV anchor sues
Briefs
Books: Former CIA analyst details failures in agency actions
"Failure of Intelligence, The Decline and Fall of the CIA" by Melvin A. Goodman (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008).
Briefs: CIA lifts lid on Israeli raid on Syrian reactor; Iranians raze Tehran shuls
CIA: Syria Could Have Made Two Nukes
Israel destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor that was nearly ready to produce two bombs, the CIA chief said.
Michael Hayden said Monday that the secret, unfinished reactor that the United States believes Israel bombed Sept. 6 in northeastern Syria eventually would have made fissile material for bombs.
Iranian Jews uneasy on Obama’s offer to ‘engage’ Iran
With Iran a hot topic in the U.S. presidential race this year, the candidates' foreign policy statements are being examined closely by everyone, not least the Iranian Jewish community. Comments by Democratic frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), in particular, have left many Iranian Jews reluctant to support his candidacy.
Calendar Girls picks and clicks for April 26-May 2
Winner of the Camera d'Or prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, "Jellyfish" is another example of the remarkable cinematic explosion of Israeli films garnering
The other refugees
Is there a more loaded word in the Arab-Israeli conflict than "refugee"
Briefs: Some West Bank settlers would agree to leave, Israel OKs Palestinian police stations
Approximately one in five Israelis living east of the West Bank security fence would leave if offered government support, a poll found. According to an internal government study, whose results were leaked Tuesday to Yediot Achronot, approximately 15,000 of the 70,000 settlers whose communities are not taken in by the fence would accept voluntary relocation packages.
Briefs: Governator opens new Saban Free Clinic, Weisenthal Center pressures Swiss on Iran deal
News Briefs
Clinton to Iran: We will ‘totally obliterate’ you
Seven synagogues torched in Tehran
Cheney talks Iran in Israel; U.S. strike seen as remote
With U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in Israel this week talking about Iran, the big question was whether President Bush would be willing to use military force in the waning days of his presidency to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Iranian Jewish activist Nikbakht speaks out on the condition of minorities in Iran
The other ‘N- word’
Few words have the power to upset individuals and corrode a conversation more than the N-word. Its very use short-circuits rational discourse. Thrown around with frequency in certain circles, the N-word provokes and torments, gaining totemic power with each use. The N-word I refer to is, of course, "Nazi."
Briefs: Senate Democrats seek Iran bank sanctions, McCain to visit Israel
News briefs.
Will Jews give Obama a chance?
Obama needs to tell his story about the Jewish community and Israel before his opponents tell their version. If he waits to respond to Clinton's charges, it may already be too late. He needs to discuss his experiences in Chicago's Jewish community, talk about his personal connections to Israel and provide reassurance in his own words.
Briefs: Rice pushes for renewed peace talks, U.N. votes new Iran sanctions
News briefs.
Israel’s new reality
The agenda linking Hassan Nasrallah, the Shiite leader of Lebanese Hezbollah; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Shiite Iranian president; and Ismail Heniyeh, the Sunni leader of Hamas and the de facto prime minister of the Gaza Strip is simple: remove the "cancerous cell" called the State of Israel from the Middle East. Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah have reiterated this message out loud; Heniyeh's Hamas Constitution explicitly calls for this objective. The goal is self-evident. As for the means, anything is legitimate.
Iranian TV commercial ties McCain to “Jewish conspiracy”
New U.S. administration won’t mean new Mideast policy
For months, we've been hearing the presidential candidates promise American voters "change." But as the U.S. primaries move beyond their half-way point, here is a prediction: Whoever becomes president in 2008 will pursue the same policies as the Bush administration in the Middle East, because there is little latitude to do otherwise.
‘Has Iran won?’
Bowing down for business
Briefs: They’re Jews first and Israelis second; Pope to soap offending trope
Collection of news briefs
Doctor with ‘healing hands’ helps kids from Iran to L.A.
When Ralph Salimpour was six years old in Esfahan, Iran, he had malaria -- a blood disease spread by infected mosquitoes that kills millions of people in the developing world every year.
Bush’s Arab world tour significant for Israel
With its focus on strengthening the moderate Arab coalition against Iran, President Bush's tour of the Persian Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia and Egypt could prove extremely significant for Israel.
As she remembers it
Do you write from memory? Someone always asks, and I become tongue-tied and uncertain, scrambling for the words, the ways to make believable what I know will sound bizarre -- a too-complicated response where all that is required is a simple "Yes" or "No" or "Sometimes; the rest is research."
I lived in Iran for only 13 years. I remember very little -- a handful of places, a couple of dozen friends and relatives. Yet, I've spent my entire career writing about the country and its people, and I've written it all -- this is the part that's difficult to explain -- from memory.
Effort to destroy Old Damascus
Briefs: ‘Christian Nation’ vote; Aid to P.A.
A seemingly benign U.S. congressional resolution supporting Christmas has become the latest fodder in the debate over whether America is a "Christian nation."
Nearly all the members of the House of Representatives, including a majority of Jewish members, voted for the Dec. 11 resolution acknowledging the celebration of Christmas and the role Christians have played in U.S. history.
Project to lure Jews out of Iran proves unsuccessful
Following the revelation in October that $10,000 per person was being offered by a Chicago-based Christian-Jewish nonprofit to encourage Jews to leave Iran and immigrate to Israel, organizers of the project in Israel and the United States admitted to being disappointed with the lack of response to their efforts.
‘Mixed’ marriages lose stigma among Iranians
If Arash Saghian's recent marriage had taken place in the late 1980s or early 1990s, he would likely have faced ostracism from Los Angeles' Iranian Jewish community. The family of the 25-year-old businessman might have also frowned upon the match, all because his spouse Maya was Ashkenazi.
One way, or the other
Cartoon
Iran report stirs concern, doubt among L.A. Persians
The Iranian Jewish community in Los Angeles is reacting to a U.S. intelligence report that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 with emotions ranging from deep suspicion to utter disbelief.
A sampling of often-opposed activists in the largest Iranian Jewish concentration in the United States, who stay in constant contact with their former homeland and are familiar with the mentality of its leaders, yielded opinions that differed mainly in emphasis and nuance.
U.S. report on Iran forces Israel to alter strategy
After the shock of last week's U.S. intelligence estimate that found that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, Israel is reshaping its Iran strategy.
Israel essentially is arguing that the U.S. assessment is dangerously misleading and that Tehran is as determined as ever to acquire nuclear weapons. The Israeli dilemma is how to prove Iran is cheating without being accused of trying to push the United States into war. That is why the official strategy is to work quietly behind the scenes.
The NIE, Iran, presidential politics and the Jews
The release last week of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran's nuclear ambitions stunned the nation's capital. After being buried for a year, the NIE has deflated the Bush administration's case on Iran by stating that Iran halted its program to develop a nuclear weapon in 2003.
Will Annapolis momentum spur a regional thaw?
Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas may have bridged the necessary gaps to issue a joint commitment to pursue peace, but their words in Annapolis revealed the substantial distance they have yet to travel.
Briefs: Israel unveils record-breaking flag, ‘Righteous Gentile’ joins Polish government
News briefs.
A beautiful day in the neighborhood
Cartoon
With Pakistan in turmoil, Israel keeps eye on nukes
With the pro-U.S. regime of Pervez Musharraf in crisis following the Pakistani president's move to suspend his country's constitution and scuttle planned parliamentary elections, Israel is watching the developments with great concern.
Israel and U.S. Jews intensify efforts to isolate Iran
American Jewish groups are aggressively attempting to rally support for isolating Iran until it ends its suspected nuclear weapons program. They are lobbying Congress, reaching out to friendly nations overseas and seeking allies in the United States.
Progressives should join Jews on Iran strategy
Progressives need to reach out to their natural allies in the Jewish community by acknowledging that the threats of nuclear proliferation and international terrorism exist and support the same reasoned, international approach of sanctions and international pressure that has helped bring the North Korean nuclear program under control.
Can Olmert and Abbas deliver at high-stakes Annapolis summit?
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are well aware of the stakes; but, for domestic reasons, both are too weak to deliver a peace agreement that would spell unqualified success at Annapolis. Instead, both are looking for a formula that papers over their political difficulties and keeps the momentum going. They have therefore agreed to redefine Annapolis as a launching pad for intensive negotiations rather than a forum for the end game. For lack of choice, the United States is going along with the low-key approach. But the Americans remain keenly aware of the underlying regional issues that they were hoping the parley would help them shape.
Kidnapped Iranian Jew’s family finds closure
Kidnapped in 1980 in Iran, Isaac Lahijani's fate remained unknown to his family for 26 years. His wife and three children say they wept for weeks and months, unable to hold a memorial for him because they had no information about his whereabouts. The Lahijani family continued living in grief until this September, when Farzaneh Lahijani was finally given an official letter from the Iranian government telling her of her husband's death.
Israel pushes world-wide diplomatic offensive to stop Iran
In a major policy change, Israel has launched a high-profile diplomatic initiative to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions following President Bush's warning that a nuclear Iran could produce World War III.
Six-figure Persian weddings
Israel’s Arab neighbors may hold key to summit’s success
As the Annapolis peace parley rapidly approaches, some of the Arab and Muslim players expected to play a key role in creating conditions for a favorable outcome are proving to be more of an obstacle than an asset.
TV: Iran’s ‘Zero Degree Turn’ flips facts on Holocaust
A popular Persian-language drama on Iranian state-run television dealing with the Holocaust contains anti-Semitic and anti-Israel themes, Los Angeles Iranian Jewish activists have revealed. News publications, including The Wall Street Journal, have hailed the new show, "Zero Degree Turn," as sympathetic to the plight of Jews during the Shoah, but Jewish experts fluent in Persian have analyzed the program more closely and have come to a different conclusion.
Jimmy Carter hatred is alive in Iranian L.A.
The September release of a new documentary that follows Jimmy Carter on tour for his controversial book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," has reignited the longstanding animosity many Iranian Americans feel toward the former U.S. president.
The soccer player’s Israel boycott
‘Live from Tehran’
It's 8 p.m. on a Wednesday, and I'm at the studios of KIRN -- a Persian-language AM radio station on Barham Boulevard near Universal Studios. I'm a guest on a program called "Live From Hollywood."
Sexual impulses erode repressive regimes
Repressive governments of whatever stripe distrust the sexual impulse because it is, at base, anarchic, idiosyncratic and in some sense ungovernable. The woman in the park in Tehran, and many other people across the world, are helping erode the cold bonds of authoritarianism and oppression.
Rep. Lantos' call for sanctions <i>and</i> diplomacy puzzles L.A. Iranians
Tom Lantos, chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, made headlines last April when he reiterated his desire to travel to Iran for informal talks with Iranian officials. And yet one month later the Democratic congressman from San Mateo introduced a tough Iran divestment bill with Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) that the House overwhelmingly passed last week.
Ahmadinejad’s Israel whoppers
Ahmadinejad’s public rest stop
‘The Chronic(what?)cles of Narnia’
Hersh: ‘Shifting targets’ in Iran
A love song for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Who’s afraid of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
When Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University the other day, he did not emerge with the "propaganda victory" that neocon pundit Bill Kristol assured us he would receive
Plenty of theater at the UN, but Iran nuclear issue still unresolved
The high political theater surrounding Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to New York this week triggered plenty of protests, headlines and debates.
Briefs: U.S. House approves Iran divestment; Olmert real estate deals probed; Barghouti seen leading
US News Briefs on Middle East
Governor Schwarzenegger to sign Iran divestment bill into law
Live from Tehran … I mean Columbia U
Come to Columbia, Mein Fuhrer
Let us travel to Iran
Why Iran? Why now, you may ask.
In part, it is incredible that such an old and established Jewish community is unknown to most of us, and that the life they led is, for the most part, no more.
Was Israeli strike in Syria a repeat of 1981 Iraq anti-nuke mission?
With Israel refusing to discuss the apparent airstrike two weeks ago against Syria, observers have begun to suggest that a major event may have taken place. The apparent bombing run might have been akin to Israel's bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981, if international media reports are to be believed.
Briefs: Olmert numbers rise after mystery Syria raid, Bolton backs Iran attack
News briefs.
IDF deep inside Syria
Iran, Israel and the 2008 election
The Republican Party has a two-sided albatross around its neck, an unpopular president who is trying desperately to keep an unpopular war going past Election Day so that its disastrous ending can be on the next president's watch.
5767: News of the Jewish year in review
News of the year in brief.
California State Senate passes Iran divestment bill
On Sept. 6, the California Senate unanimously approved a bill that would require state pension funds to divest an estimated $24 billion in investments from nearly 300 companies doing business with Iran.
‘America to the Rescue’
Elegy for a Dream
The Shah of Iran symbolized, with his youth and his seemingly limitless future, the power and grandeur that, we believed, would one day be his -- he symbolized for us a life of possibilities, such as we hadn't known for centuries.
Danoch makes historic TV outreach to Iranians in Iran
Los Angeles' Israeli Consul-General Ehud Danoch made history on Sunday, Sept. 2, by becoming the first Israeli official in more than 25 years to directly address the people of Iran via live television.
To a Muslim leader, Israel is ‘Satan’
‘Harry Potter’ a ‘Zionist conspiracy’
Bush flirts with peace talks but won’t commit to Palestinians
President George W. Bush kicked off the week by reaffirming his vision of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it was widely seen as an attempt to divert attention from his debacle in Iraq rather than a commitment to sustained diplomacy.
When they killed Cousin Ebi with a bullet to the heart, my family finally decided it was time to leave Iran
At a Sinai Temple Men's Club meeting earlier this month, Berookhim publicly shared the 30-year-old heart-wrenching story of his 31-year-old uncle's arrest and execution at the hands of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Cheney president for a day *
Israel and the LA Times
Iran pulling strings to create Mideast turmoil
What do all the current threats facing the Middle East -- the Hamas takeover in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah's bid for power in Lebanon, political turmoil in Iraq and imminent nu- clear weapons in the hands of a radical dictatorship -- all have in common? Answer: Iran.
The Second Lebanon War—one year later
One year after the Second Lebanon War, Israel's northern front is quiet, U.N. forces are patrolling the border area and Hezbollah fighters have been pushed back deep inside Lebanese territory.
L.A. Persian Jews and Muslims oppose bombing Iran
In recent weeks, calls for possible strikes against Iran by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and other government officials have caused alarm among some local Iranian Jews and Muslims familiar with the Tehran regime.
Salman Rushdie can’t catch a break
Am I Left?
"Am I left?" I asked the diplomat. I don't even know what left or right means anymore. At a moment in history when Israel's prime minister, from the center-right, ran on a ticket of unilateral withdrawal from the territories, something even the left opposed a few years back, and when the left in Israel advocates for a separation fence that its leaders once fought against, and when right and left are united in their disgust with the current government, these labels mean bubkes in Israel.
A Pyrrhic victory for Hamas?
The Hamas coup in Gaza last week might seem like a victory for Iran and its followers, who now have a foothold on Israel's doorstep. But if Israel plays its cards wisely, it might turn things around.
Why ‘peace camps’ do not make peace
President Joe Lieberman and war with Iran
Cooling down the the Iran rhetoric can help get real results
The Jewish community is just as concerned as ever about the menace of a nuclear Iran, but it is starting to temper its red-hot rhetoric on the issue. The reason: a growing sense that calling Iran the new Nazi Germany, its madman leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Hitler reborn, is hurting the community-wide effort to ratchet up the diplomatic and economic pressure on the Tehran regime.
Briefs: The Milken JCC pool; Valley Cities JCC fundraiser; Iran divestment bill moving forward
Briefs
Briefs: Koufax and SLO power-hitter named draft IBL picks; Iran top terror sponsor
World news briefs.
The Persian rabbi explains it all
Haji Hayim sings and dances to a traditional song typically sung at b'nai mitzvah ceremonies, but he does so to a techno beat. The cartoon character started grabbing the attention of the Iranian Jewish community in January 2006, when his video was distributed in e-mails as part of the official launch of Persianrabbi.com, the brainchild of 23-year-old product developer and community leader Eman Chayim Esmailzadeh.
Jews and Muslims unite behind Iran divestment bill
Fourteen national and state Jewish organizations and dozens of Iranian Muslim groups opposed to Iran's regime have found common ground in support of California Assembly Bill 221, which would require state pension funds to divest an estimated $24 billion in investments from more than 280 companies doing business with Iran.
Iran nuclear threat: What to do?
As the wild ride known as the Bush Administration careens toward its end, the only question remaining is whether the president will order an attack on Iran. Mired in the endless quagmire of Iraq, desperate for some military success, Bush might try to salvage his wounded sense of mastery with one great roll of the dice.
Persia held hostage, film at 11
Cartoon.
Bitter Harvest
Cartoon.
Help! Fire!
Political cartoon
Saudis breathe new life into diplomacy
For the first time in years, serious Israeli-Arab peace moves seem to be afoot. The key mover is Saudi Arabia, and the key document is a 2002 peace initiative that it sponsored.
Experts explore effects of Ahmadinejad anti-Semitism
Community Briefs
MUSIC VIDEO: Teapacks—‘Push the Button’ (Eurovision entry)
Tehran cemetery Web site links local Persians to Iran
Mobilize now against Iran and save the world
We must recognize the fact that though sympathy for Iran's expressed goal of Israel's destruction is hardly mainstream, the idea of a world without Israel is more acceptable in polite company, the media and academia today than Hitler's expressed goal of a Europe without Jews was in 1939.
Briefs: Palestinians riot near Jerusalem dig; Brandeis threatened with loss of donations
Briefs
Time for Jewish leaders to end their silence on Iraq
According to all available polls, a large majority of Americans want to bring our involvement in Iraq to an end, and an overwhelming majority of Iraqis themselves are opposed to the continued American occupation of their country.
Ahmadinejad: The next Hitler?
Some might argue that though Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may appear to be a threat to the world, he is serving and providing for his own country and people. But the scores of protests against Ahmadinejad by college students in Tehran over the past couple of months prove otherwise.
New U.N. chief puts priority on Israeli-Palestinian peace
World News Briefs
Can Olmert’s goodwill gestures kick-start peace?
Leaders on both sides are optimistic. They see Olmert's moves as part of a new and wider American plan for Israeli-Palestinian accommodation.
The Importance of Accessibility
President Bush made a point of going around the table and greeting each of us personally before the "formal" meeting began. But herein lies the curious part. There really was no formal meeting.
Yoram Hassid: The Man in the Middle
For the past 20 years, Yoram Hassid, a 60-something financially successful general contractor, has been quietly helping scores of local Jews -- in particular Iranian Jews -- avoid the courtrooms, acting as an unpaid mediator in disputes over everything from multimillion dollar real estate deals to challenging family conflicts.
Don’t dismiss Iran Holocaust conference as harmless fringe elements
Even Borat, the bumblingly anti-Semitic comic character, could not have contrived a more absurd and utterly offensive assemblage: David Duke, erstwhile Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, alongside Robert Faurisson, the French pseudo-academic who argues that the Holocaust never happened, accompanied for dramatic effect by a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews whose anti-Zionist fanaticism motivates them to desecrate the memory of millions of murdered Jews.
New approaches in Iraq could <I>help</I> Israel
Israel is now stuck between Iraq and a hard place; those in the administration who most uncritically support Israel don't know what they're doing, and those who have better ideas are more critical of Israel.
Regime Change
Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni -- all have spoken in Los Angeles recently on the need to confront the Iranian threat immediately and forcefully.
But I'm wary.
Los Angeles mom pleads for life of son kidnapped in Iran
"Why is the world so silent -- why are Jews so silent about the plight of Jews being held captive in Iran?" Elana Tehrani, an Iranian-born Jewish woman now living in Los Angeles asked a crowd during a speech at the Nessah Cultural Center in Beverly Hills.
U.S. Jewish Population Rising; California and Israel Join in Tourism Pact
Briefs
Iran’s Jewish legislator criticized during L.A. appearance
A group of local Iranian Jewish activists spoke out in protest of the Dec. 4 appearance of Maurice Motamed, the only Jewish representative to the Iranian parliament, at the Iranian American Jewish Federation (IAJF) synagogue in West Hollywood, where he provided an update on the current status of Iran's Jewry.
Ignoring the lessons of the past
Why would Syria, Iran and the terror groups they jointly sponsor so utterly deride the notion that the West will ever unite to effectively deter them? An early case in point is the small matter of Nezar Hindawi and the Syrian bid to bomb El Al.
Reports shed new light on irrational Iran debate
Nearly two weeks ago, Ted Koppel contributed some desperately needed perspective to the irrational debate about Iran and its so-called nuclear threat. It was something we did not hear days before, listening to Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Olmert at the General Assembly (GA) of the United Jewish Communities in Los Angeles.
Jimmy Carter Mideast book shows his anti-Israel bias
I like Jimmy Carter. I have known him since he began his run for president in early 1976. I worked hard for his election, and I have admired the work of the Carter Center throughout the world. That's why it troubles me so much that this decent man has written such an indecent book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.