- NEWS & COMMENTARY
Cleveland kidnappings: We must be our brother’s keeper
The exterior of the house where three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately ten years ago were found alive on May 7 in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo by Pugliano/Getty Images
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and you said, “Oh my God.” Most of the hummus recipes…
Palestinians mark Nakba with West Bank protests
Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank marked the 65th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel, which they call the “catastrophe,” with marches and protests.
- HOLLYWOOD
The Office’s best Jewish moment
Funny music, sad life
On an otherwise unremarkable day in 1938, a chubby but charming student at John Burroughs Junior High in Los Angeles “cracked the code of his comic gift and discovered his…
Filmmakers reveal magician’s secretive world
A British journalist recalls how she once sat down at a cafe with the legendary magician, author, historian, actor and, perhaps, the greatest sleight-of-hand artist on the planet in the documentary…
- LIFE & CULTURE
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
Survivor: Irene Rosenberg
“Mommy, I’ll be right back.” Irene Rosenberg — then Irene Grunfeld — said as she was leaving the apartment of her cousin Mancy Weiss, where she and her mother were…
The Divine Wedding and Kiss - Parashat Naso
“O for your kiss! For your love / More enticing than wine, / For your scent and sweet name – For all this they love you. Take me away to…
- BLOGS
What would my Israeli grandmother think?
When I hear about the latest events in Israel – the air strikes on weapons facilities in Syria, the flare-ups over women donning prayer shawls at the Western Wall –…
A hot topic, a great panel, and chance to learn and discuss—immigration at issue
It's a critical time for immigration reform in this country. Washington is getting set to make major changes, the likes of which haven't been seen since the 1980's under President…
State 194: A Documentary About Palestine
Opening this weekend at Laemmle’s Music Hall 3 is a very hot-button new documentary called State 194, which follows the recent history of Palestine. Many will approach this film with…
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Erdogan says will go ahead with Gaza visit
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the White House on Thursday that he intends to go ahead with a planned trip to the Gaza Strip next month despite pressure from the United States to delay it.
Wrestling with it: U.S. vs. Iran
Iran is a mainstay in international wrestling. The United States has a long and proud wrestling history, too.
The ordeal of the Sotah: Parashat Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89)
In the late ’70s, I carried a beeper when it was my turn to be on call for a rape-victim helpline. One evening I had it clipped to my jacket during a faculty meeting at the community college where I taught.
Turkey’s Erdogan to push Obama on Syria after bombings
Turkey's prime minister will push President Barack Obama for more assertive action on Syria during a visit to Washington this week, days after car bombs tore through a Turkish border town in the deadliest spillover of violence yet.
Stephen Hawking rejects the Zionism of Einstein
Hawking and Mohammed
There was so much Jewish outrage last week in the wake of Professor Steven Hawking’s decision to join the academic boycott against Israel, it’s hard to know where to start.
U.S. names 4 Iranian companies to sanctions list
The Obama administration added the names of four Iranian companies and an individual to those sanctioned for assisting Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.
Calls to destroy Israel heard at Muslim brotherhood’s Cairo rally
Calls for Israel’s destruction were heard in Cairo at the first anti-Israel rally organized by the Muslim Brotherhood since the movement’s candidate was elected president.
Hagel: U.S. strategy is to reinforce Israel, Arab allies
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said reinforcing Israel's edge and bolstering security relationships with neighbors like Egypt were both U.S. priorities.
Poll: Israelis much more confident in Obama than Palestinians
Israelis by a 4-to-1 margin are more confident than Palestinians in how President Obama handles his foreign policy, a poll found.
U.S., Russia seek new Syria peace talks, rebels skeptical
Russia and the United States agreed to seek new peace talks with both sides to end Syria's civil war, but opposition leaders were skeptical on Wednesday of an initiative they fear might let President Bashar Assad hang on to power.
Syrian wake-up
Yes, America, we’ve heard: You’re war-weary. It’s at least something our divided country can agree upon: Americans across party lines oppose sending troops, weapons or air support to the rebel fighters in Syria.
Syrians angry at Israel
Khalil Sharif wants everyone to stay out of his country’s business.
Israel says ‘no winds of war’ despite Syria air strikes
Israel played down weekend air strikes close to Damascus reported to have killed dozens of Syrian soldiers, saying they were not aimed at influencing its neighbor's civil war but only at stopping Iranian missiles reaching Lebanese Hezbollah militants.
With Netanyahu in Shanghai, China rips Syrian airstrikes
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began a five-day visit to China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized the military strikes on Syria without singling out Israel.
“You Shall Not Stand Idly By?” America and Syria – What to Do?
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Hamas rejects Arab League’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan
Islamist Hamas's leader in the Gaza Strip on Friday rejected a revised Middle East peace initiative put forward by the Arab League, saying outsiders could not decide the fate of the Palestinians.
Judea Pearl reflects: A father’s words
Eleven years ago, when tragedy blackened our skies, and millions of people resonated with our mission of rolling back the hatred that took our son’s life, we were quick to learn that the journalistic community is not only our strongest partner but also a special member of our extended family.
May 1, 2013
Obama: ‘Chain of custody’ needed for Syria action
President Obama said he needs to have all the facts on who used chemical weapons in Syria before taking further action.
Arab League agrees to peace with land swaps
The Arab League agreed to a Middle East peace plan that would allow for agreed-upon land swaps.
Netanyahu says Iran hasn’t crossed nuclear ‘red line’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday Iran had not crossed the "red line" he set for its nuclear program, despite an assessment to the contrary by a former Israeli intelligence chief.
Syria says it would not use chemical arms, even against Israel
Damascus will not use chemical weapons against its own citizens, or in the event of war with its neighbor Israel, Syria's Information Minister was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
Israel Festival brings L.A. a taste of Tel Aviv
Eden Bennun craved a taste of Israel. Growing up in Kfar Saba and Rishon LeZion as a child gave her a love of Israel’s smells, sounds and foods.
Iran to cross ‘red line’ this summer, ex-Israeli military intel chief says
Iran will cross Israel's "red line" for nuclear activity by this summer, Israel's former director of military intelligence said.
April 22, 2013
The Birthright Israel flip side: Fewer high school students traveling to Israel
With the summer travel season fast approaching, providers of Israel programs for teenagers are bracing themselves for what several say could be a season of historically low travel in a year unaffected by major security concerns.
Turkey, Israel reconciliation far from fact
Just before President Barack Obama boarded Air Force One to leave Israel on a windy Friday afternoon last month, he made a dramatic announcement.
Ang Lee doing TV
Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee will tackle television for the first time, directing a pilot for a show written by the Israeli writer who created the popular drama "Homeland."
Jewish leaders urge Netanyahu to work with Obama on peace
More than one hundred U.S. Jewish leaders urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make clear "Israel’s readiness to make painful territorial sacrifices for the sake of peace."
Kerry to visit Jerusalem, Ramallah; not bringing new peace plan
Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Jerusalem and Ramallah next week but does not intend to offer an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, the State Department said on Wednesday.
March was bloodiest month in Syria war, rights group says
March was the bloodiest month yet in Syria's two-year conflict, with more than 6,000 people killed, a third of them civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday.
Did Bashar Assad use chemical weapons?
Ahmad Jabir gesticulated wildly when he heard the news. “This regime is crazy,” the 24 year old rebel fighter shouted. “When will the international community realize it will kill us all with gasses like the chemical weapons it fired today?”
Cyprus verdict could inhibit Hezbollah operations in Europe
The conviction in Cyprus of a Hezbollah operative plotting to attack Israelis could undercut efforts by the terrorist group to carry out additional attacks outside the Middle East.
Obama’s Middle East visit: 50 shades of gray
On March 21, four days before Pesach, Sarah Chazizza was at home in Sderot, doing what people do before Pesach. She was cleaning. It was still early in the morning, but the weather was getting warmer and the windows were wide open to let the dusted furniture breath.
U.N. hopes chemical arms team deploys to Syria soon
The United Nations hopes that a team investigating allegations about the use of chemical weapons in Syria's civil war will deploy to the country as early as next week, U.N. diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.
Egyptian captors release Israeli man
An Arab-Israeli man from Nazareth who was kidnapped by Bedouin in Egypt was released.
Obama quotes Hatikvah in Passover message
President Obama cited the Israeli national anthem's invocation of an ancient Jewish longing for a homeland in his Passover message.
After Mideast trip, Obama gains political capital. Will he spend it?
For a trip that U.S. officials had cautioned was not about getting “deliverables,” President Obama’s apparent success during his Middle East trip at getting Israel and Turkey to reconcile has raised some hopes for a breakthrough on another front: Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
A reaction to Obama’s speech in Jerusalem
This morning, as I listened to President Obama’s speech to students in Jerusalem, I was filled with frustration and mortification. I was watching the speech at the gym and read the words as they crossed the TV screen.
March 22, 2013
‘Put yourself in their shoes’
It’s been just two days since President Barack Obama touched down in Israel, and no doubt you’ve probably read and heard it all by now. The ribbing banter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Best Frenemy Forever.
President Obama appeals to Israelis to make peace with Palestinians
In an emotional speech to hundreds of university students, President Obama urged young Israelis to push their government to re-launch peace talks with the Palestinians, arguing it is the only way to ensure the future of Israeli democracy.
President Obama: ‘People deserve to be free in a land of their own’ [FULL SPEECH]
Shalom. It is an honor to be here with you in Jerusalem, and I am so grateful for the welcome that I have received from the people of Israel. I bring with me the support of the American people, and the friendship that binds us together.
Obama’s More Important Audience: Israel’s Neighbors
After Israeli backslapping, Obama faces Palestinian discontent
President Barack Obama faces a stony reception when he travels to the West Bank on Thursday for talks with Palestinian leaders who accuse him of letting Israel ride rough-shod over their dream of statehood.
As trip begins, Obama and Netanyahu are all smiles
President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it’s safe to say, haven’t always been the best of friends.
Alleged chemical attack kills 25 in northern Syria
Syria's government and rebels accused each other of launching a deadly chemical attack near the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday in what would, if confirmed, be the first use of such weapons in the two-year conflict.
Are critics of Israeli occupation getting nervous?
It’s a sure sign of nervousness when people start using the vocabulary of absolute certainty — when they refuse to allow for even the possibility of debate.
Budget, Iran top priorities for new Israeli government
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government will face the immediate task of passing an austerity budget and the time-sensitive challenge of preventing what it believes is Iran's drive to develop nuclear weapons.
In Iranian New Year message, Obama warns Iran of isolation but not strikes
President Obama warned Iran of further isolation but stopped short of threatening military action should the country not cooperate with the international community on its nuclear program.
Obama: ‘Bibi and I have a terrific, businesslike relationship’
President Obama said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have "a terrific, businesslike relationship."
Fearful Syrian voters will keep Assad in power, Hezbollah deputy leader says
Syrian President Bashar Assad is likely to run for re-election next year and win, with Syria remaining in military and political deadlock until then, said the deputy leader of Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.
Lots of listening, no grand initiatives expected on Obama’s Mideast trip
When President Obama visits Israel next week, Gavriel Yaakov wants him to jump-start the peace process.
World Bank: Palestinian economy in decline
During President Obama’s visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) next week, he will visit the West Bank towns of Ramallah, where he will meet PA leader Mahmoud Abbas, and Bethlehem, to see the Church of the Nativity. A new report by the World Bank says he will see an economy that is in steady decline and losing its competetiveness.
Peres to European Parliament: Call Hezbollah terror group
Israeli President Shimon Peres told European Parliament lawmakers that they should classify Hezbollah as a terror group, and that Israel’s new cabinet creates a chance for renewed talks with the Palestinians.
Is Obama bringing a peace plan?
Over and over, American officials insist that President Obama has no new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan hidden in his pocket, ready to be whipped out during next week’s meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Obama to Jews: Peace is essential but prospects are bleak
President Obama believes prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace are “bleak,” but he still will urge both sides to avoid unilateral actions that might further damage a process he hopes will be back on track within a year.
Obama meets with Jewish leaders to prepare for Israel trip
Some 20 Jewish leaders met privately with President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday morning, March 7, in what one participant called “an honest and substantive exchange” concerning the President’s upcoming trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories. The source asked that his name not be used because participants were told the meeting was to be strictly off-the-record.
House resolution would back Israel strike on Iran
A slate of Republican congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a resolution that would support an Israeli strike against Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.
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