UC Irvine student divestment vote rejected by school officials

By Tom Tugend
Published on November 15, 2012

A resolution passed by the UC Irvine undergraduate student council calling on the university to divest from companies that “profit from Israel’s occupation of Palestine” has been rejected by the UCI administration.

Senate committee passes Jewish compensation resolution

Published on September 20, 2012

A resolution urging the return or compensation of property seized from Jews during the Nazi and communist eras was passed by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

A letter to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on March 25, 2012

For the record: Sherman didn’t flip-flop to attack Berman

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on January 19, 2012

Be the Change! Be Better!

By Lisa Niver Rajna
Published on January 3, 2012

A UN resolution against hypocrisy

By David Suissa
Published on March 9, 2011

Writing a column protesting the hypocrisy of the United Nations is not really fair. It’s like a turkey shoot. The evidence is so overwhelming that the U.N. is viciously biased against Israel — and ridiculously biased in favor of the Palestinians — that you’re tempted to just move on to a less depressing subject.

U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution

Published on February 18, 2011

The United States vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have condemned Israeli settlements as illegal. The Security Council resolution, which was brought to a vote Friday afternoon, earned the support of the council's other 14 members.

Abbas rejects U.S. request to withdraw UN settlement resolution

Published on February 18, 2011

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to turn down Washington's request to withdraw a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding Israel halt settlement expansion on occupied land.

Boston-area towns back pro-Palestinian resolutions

Published on November 4, 2010

Voters in three Boston-area districts backed a nonbinding resolution supporting Palestinian rights in Israel.

Angeleno pushes effort on recognizing conversions

By Julie G Fax
Published on November 26, 2008

When Lorin Fife converted to Judaism some 30 years ago, his experience with the Orthodox rabbis who presided over his year of study and conversion ceremony was one of warmth and acceptance.

Happy New Year—shofar so good!

By Shoshana Lewin-Fischer
Published on August 30, 2007

Kid's page.

Briefs: Holocaust denial resolution goes to U.N.; Swiss admit Israel-Syria mediation; Survivors owed

Published on January 25, 2007

Briefs

Truth Trumps Presbyterian Divestment Resolution

By Rabbi Abraham Cooper
Published on June 29, 2006

Last week, delegates to the Presbyterian Church USA's (PCUSA) General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala., voted to undo their hateful 2004 anti-Israel divestment resolution.

Seeing Red Over Green’s Israel Policy

By Robert David Jaffee
Published on May 18, 2006

Local leaders of the Green Party are working to overturn an anti-Israel resolution that has become official party policy.

Reform Body Rejects Science Distortion

By James D. Besser
Published on December 1, 2005

The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the largest body of religious Jews in the nation, has forcefully come out against the "politicization" of science at a time when the issue is boiling over in state legislatures, churches and classrooms

Israeli Wins Nobel for Game Theory

By Dan Baron
Published on October 20, 2005

An Israeli who has educated the world on conflict resolution was named last week as the co-winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in economics.

Pullout Seen Really as West Bank Issue

By Tom Tugend
Published on August 11, 2005

The Gaza withdrawal in itself plays only a small part in the current face-off between settlers and the Israeli government.

Concern Grows on Iran Abuses

By Nooredin Abedian
Published on January 6, 2005

Concern is growing among circles of Iranian nationals and expatriates that European countries are turning a blind eye to the regime's human rights atrocities in exchange for trade benefits.

Late last year, the U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution criticizing Iran for human rights violations. It cited new restrictions on freedom of expression and the persecution of political and religious dissenters.

Europe Held Key in U.N. Fence Ruling

By Rachel Pomerance
Published on July 22, 2004

When it comes to action at the United Nations, Europe -- considered by many observers to be the organization's moral bellwether -- often decides the course.

That was the case again this week as the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution demanding that Israel comply with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that it must tear down its West Bank security barrier and compensate Palestinians affected by its construction.

Sharon Plan Lacks Details on Pullout

By Ron Kampeas
Published on June 10, 2004

Now that Ariel Sharon has persuaded just about everyone -- the Bush administration, its European and Arab allies and Sharon's own contentious Cabinet -- that it's time for Israel to leave the Gaza Strip, he needs to fill in the details.

Support Pledged on Marking Historic Ruling

By Journal Staff
Published on March 4, 2004

In 1947, a group of parents led by Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez of Westminster fought to end California's segregation of its Latino school children. Their suit came to the attention of the state's governor at the time, Earl Warren, who went on to hear the Brown case as chief justice of the nation's highest court.

World Briefs

By JTA Staff
Published on February 19, 2004

World Briefs

Hillel Head, Writer Clash on Campus

By Gaby Wenig
Published on October 30, 2003

Having Alan Dershowitz speak on behalf of Israel at a university event was meant to be provocative, but nobody could have predicted the fracas that erupted after the prominent author and attorney spoke.

Arab Groups Assail Bush Appointment

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on September 4, 2003

Jewish and Arab leaders say President Bush's appointment of Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes to a federal think tank -- despite the objections of Arab groups and some congressional Democrats -- offers a window into White House thinking on Middle East issues.

Rep. Darrell Issa: Ally of Israel

Published on July 31, 2003

Darrell Issa has met repeatedly with leaders in the region to encourage cooperation in the war on terrorism and to advance the "road map" to peace.

Love and Loyalty

By Lia del Sesto
Published on May 22, 2003

We would always say that we were the ambassadors of love and happiness, causing people to smile as they passed by us, the chemistry almost touchable.

Different Heroes

By Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Published on May 8, 2003

A poster of Moshe Dayan hung in my childhood bedroom. Growing up in the light of the Six-Day War, I adored this new Jewish hero -- tough, cocky, a Jew without fear.

Ignoring Opposition to War an Old Story

By Leonard Fein
Published on March 20, 2003

What do Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boulder, Denver, NewHaven, Atlanta, Chicago, Gary, Des Moines, Portland (Maine), Baltimore, Detroit, St. Paul, Newark, Jersey City, Santa Fe, New York City, Syracuse, Cleveland, Akron, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Austin, Burlington, Alexandria, Seattle, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C., have in common?

Jewish Groups Back U.S. Stand on Iraq

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on October 17, 2002

Jewish groups are supporting a resolution from their umbrella organization backing the Bush administration's use of force against Iraq "as a last resort."

Nobody Likes Saddam

By Rob Eshman
Published on September 26, 2002

So do you think America should go to war with Iraq?

Zinni’s Third Time Around

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on March 14, 2002

Peace envoy Anthony Zinni's return to the Middle East later this week is seen as an attempt to address mounting international pressure on the Bush administration.

Reform Needs Standards

By Dennis Prager
Published on May 25, 2000

The Reform rabbis' recent resolution on same-gender officiation affirms two mutually contradictory actions: It supports any Reform rabbi who wishes to perform a same-sex ritual, including, though not so specified, marriage; and it supports any Reform rabbi who refuses to perform same-sex rituals.In an important way, there is nothing new in this resolution. A Reform rabbi could always have performed a same-sex commitment service. Nothing in Reform Judaism would have prevented Reform rabbis from doing so 10, 20, or 50 years ago, because there are no religious standards in Reform Judaism (this is not criticism, it is description). Reform rabbis can do anything they want ritually. So a Reform Jew can celebrate Shabbat on Tuesday. Indeed, for decades many Reform synagogues held Shabbat services on Sundays.