- NEWS & COMMENTARY
Lapid: No settlement freeze for peace talks
Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid said he opposes a settlement freeze, but that thousands of settlers would have to leave their homes in a peace deal.
Israel to authorize four West Bank settler outposts
Israel plans to declare legal four unauthorized West Bank settler outposts, a court document showed on Thursday, days before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry returns to the region to try to restart peace talks.
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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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.
U.S. official talking ‘blood diamonds’ with Israel
A top U.S. official is traveling to Israel to discuss trade with a focus on conflict diamonds.
Samira Ibrahim acknowledges ‘anti-Zionist’ tweet
After claiming her Twitter account was hacked, an Egyptian human rights activist appeared to acknowledge at least some of the anti-Jewish tweets that led the Obama administration to delay honoring her with an award.
State-honored activist claims tweets attacking Jews, Israelis were not hers
An Egyptian human rights activist set to be honored by the Obama administration says tweets on her Twitter feed attacking Jews and celebrating a a deadly attack on Israelis were the result of hacking.
U.S. knew of Yom Kippur War’s possibility early on, uncovered memo shows
The U.S. government had information five months before the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur War that a conflict was imminent, a recently uncovered State Department memo shows.
Israeli-Palestinian textbook study sparks controversy
A U.S. State Department-funded study on Israeli and Palestinian textbooks released in Jerusalem has set-off a wave of insults, charges and counter-charges. Israel’s Ministry of Education called the detailed report “biased and unprofessional” while the International Society for Political Psychology called the Israeli government’s description “highly distressing.”
Clinton warns Russia, Iran of Syria conflict spreading
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Iran and Russia on Thursday to rethink their support for Syria, saying the most dire scenarios of the conflict spilling beyond its borders could come to pass.
Top Egyptian official calls Holocaust a ‘myth’
A top Egyptian official close to President Mohamed Morsi called the Holocaust a myth.
Hillary Clinton discharged from N.Y. hospital, State Department says
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was discharged from hospital on Wednesday after being treated for a blood clot in a vein behind her right ear, and her doctors expect her to make a full recovery, a State Department spokesman said.
Hillary Clinton leaves New York hospital, then returns
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton briefly left New York-Presbyterian hospital on Wednesday, only to return about 15 minutes later, the New York Daily News reported.
Clinton suffers clot behind right ear, full recovery expected
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suffered a blood clot in a vein between her brain and skull behind her right ear but is expected to make a full recovery, her doctors said on Monday in a statement released by the State Department.
The children’s game our leaders play at our expense
U.S. response to a cry for help during World War II
A prosecutor by training and a historical novelist by avocation, Gregory J. Wallance has written books of historical fiction and historical nonfiction.
Leaving State Department’s anti-Semitism post, Hannah Rosenthal reflects on accomplishments
Anti-Semitism overseas is being noted with increasing frequency by U.S. State Department human rights reports, and Hannah Rosenthal says that’s a good thing.
Obama administration reaffirms levels of defense aid to Egypt
The Obama administration reaffirmed its commitment to current levels of funding for Egypt's military while announcing new civil assistance programs.
Clinton: U.S. will push to help Palestinians with financial crisis
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the Palestinian and Jordanian that Washington is 'looking at every means possible' to alleviate the Palestinian financial crisis.
Clinton urges Egypt, Israel to talk about Sinai
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Egypt's foreign minister to keep lines of communication open with Israel amid tensions over an Egyptian push against militants in the neighboring Sinai desert, the State Department said on Thursday.
U.S. urges non-aligned nations to press Iran on nukes
The Obama administration is urging countries attending the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran next week to press Iran to comply with demands to make its nuclear program more transparent.
State Dept., ADL slam attacks on Palestinians
The U.S. State Department and the Anti-Defamation League condemned a firebomb attack on Palestinians believed to have been carried out by settlers.
Hiding Israel
There are two ways to look at the Obama administration’s decision to exclude Israel from its global anti-terrorism initiative. If you recall, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to Istanbul last month to convene the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the group of invitees included 29 countries and the European Union -- but not Israel.
State Dept. report describes ‘rising tide’ of anti-Semitism
The U.S. State Department’s report on religious freedom described a “global increase” in anti-Semitism and said the “rising tide of anti-Semitism” was among the key trends of last year.
State Dept. reviewing how member of terror group visited White House
The U.S. State Department is reviewing how it granted a visa to an Egyptian lawmaker who met with top Obama administration officials and is known to be a member of a terrorist group.
State slams new West Bank housing approval
The Obama administration "does not accept the legitimacy" of announced plans for up to 851 new housing units for West Bank settlements.
State to decide on Mujahedin-e Khalq terror delisting in 4 months
The State Department plans to comply with a court's order to decide the status of a group that opposes the Iranian regime and that it lists as terrorist.
Egyptians cancel meetings with U.S. lawmakers after aid warnings
An Egyptian military delegation abruptly cancelled its meetings with U.S. lawmakers to return to Cairo on Monday after warnings from both Congress and the White House that Egypt's crackdown on non-governmental groups could threaten its $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid.
State Department condemns vandalism of West Bank mosque
The United States condemned the vandalizing of a mosque in the northern West Bank.
Muslim Brotherhood offered assurances on treaty, State Dept. says
The Muslim Brotherhood assured the United States it would not break Egypt's peace treaty with Israel, according to the U.S. State Department.
Museum of Tolerance and political group to hold ‘provocative’ 9/11-themed event
State Dept. gives to $200,000 grants to MEMRI, Centropa
The U.S. State Department awarded $200,000 grants each to the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, and the Central Europe Center for Research and Documentation, known as Centropa.
State Department criticizes Israel over E. Jerusalem housing approval
The Obama administration criticized Israel over the approval of a new housing project in eastern Jerusalem.
U.S. State Dept. to study Saudi texts
The U.S. State Department is launching a study of Saudi textbooks to determine their reach and whether they promote intolerance.
State Dept. funding study of Israeli, Palestinian incitement in textbooks
The U.S. State Department is funding a $500,000 study to examine incitement in Israeli and Palestinian textbooks. The study is analyzing textbooks used by Israeli and Palestinian schoolchildren to see how they characterize the other side and topics like religion and history, the Forward reported. It was commissioned by the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, a Jerusalem-based organization of Islamic, Jewish and Christian religious leaders.
State Department says Israel not preventing human trafficking
Israel is not in full compliance with the minimum international standards to prevent human trafficking, but is making efforts to bring itself up to par, the U.S. State Department said.
State Dept. warns against sea travel to Gaza
The U.S. State Department "strongly urged" Americans not to travel to Gaza -- a warning aimed at Americans joining a flotilla to break Israel's naval blockade of the coastal strip.
State Department condemns West Bank mosque torching
The United States condemned the torching of a West Bank mosque. "This attack is the latest of several such acts of violence against West Bank mosques. These incidents have served to undermine efforts to promote a comprehensive peace in the region. We call on the Israeli government to investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice, and for calm from all parties," said Mark Toner, deputy spokesperson for the U.S. State Department.
Holocaust survivors struggle to receive insurance payouts
Holocaust survivors continue to face roadblocks, including the United States government, in collecting on insurance policies taken out before the war.
U.S. won’t participate in Durban III, State Dept. says
The United States will not participate in Durban III, this September, the State Department said. In a letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Joseph E. Macmanus, acting assistant secretary for legislative affairs, confirmed the United States would not attend the conference, which in its previous iterations has been a forum for anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment.
Diplomat’s removal not due to threats, State Dept. says
The U.S. State Department denied that the removal of one of its diplomats from Bahrain was due to threats. Ludovic Hood, a human rights officer, left Bahrain on May 26 following two months of threats, including Internet photos of Hood's wife and information on where he and his family lived, McClatchy Newspapers reported Tuesday.
State Dept. confirms Israel’s arrest of an American
The U.S. State Department confirmed that Israel arrested an American citizen, reportedly during a Nakba Day protest. A State Department statement on Tuesday in response to a query from a journalist during the daily briefing the day before only would confirm that Israeli authorities had arrested a U.S. citizen.
Iran executed Jewish woman and her husband, State Dept. says [UPDATE]
A Jewish woman and her Armenian Christian husband were executed in Iran for undisclosed reasons, a top State Department official said. Michael Posner, the assistant secretary of state for human rights, testified Wednesday at a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Iran's human rights.
State ‘disturbed’ by reports of Mughrabi square naming
The State Department called "disturbing" reports that Palestinian Authority officials attended the renaming of a square after a terrorist, saying it condemned such commemorations. "We are very disturbed by these reports and are seeking clarification from the Palestinian Authority," a State Department official told JTA. "We condemn any commemoration of acts of terrorism and underscore that all parties have an obligation to end incitement."
Israel’s settlement plans ‘concern’ State Dept.
The Obama administration expressed "deep concern" about new settlement building plans announced by Israel in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack. "The United States is deeply concerned by continuing Israeli actions with respect to settlements in the West Bank," State Department spokeswoman Tanya Powell said in a statement. "Continued Israeli settlements are illegitimate and run counter to efforts to resume direct negotiations."
Dear Condoleeza Rice:
Last Saturday, on the Jewish Sabbath, I was attending prayer services at one of the big synagogues in Los Angeles, Beth Jacob Congregation, when something unusual happened that made me think of writing you this letter.
‘Forgotten Hero’ of the Shoah Peter Bergson gets his due times two
Two cheers for the Administration’s flawed anti-Semitism report
Last month, the State Department issued its report on contemporary global anti-Semitism. There's much to admire in it, albeit with a significant reservation.
Democracy in the Mideast?
President George W. Bush is certainly putting his money where his mouth is. Last week, the State Department announced it will invest $25 million to promote democracy throughout the Arab world. The goals of the program, which will train political advocates, journalists and others, are economic reform and private sector development, education, promotion of civil society and respect for the rule of law.
Washington Reassesses
The Bush administration, reeling from a week of explosive developments on the troubled Israeli-Palestinian front, is reexamining even its limited efforts to win a cease-fire in the 16-month-old intifada.
That reassessment -- that resulted in this week's indefinite postponement of a new Mideast mission by U.S. special envoy Anthony Zinni -- comes as officials here and in Jerusalem digest disturbing revelations about Yasser Arafat's involvement in a recent arms smuggling scheme and his deepening involvement with Iran.
Worrysome Headlines
If ever a president went into a period of national crisis with a surplus of good will, it was George W. Bush.
Victory Should Be Israel’s Goal
Should Israel's goal be to defeat the Palestinian Arab terrorists who are waging war against it? Or should Israelis be striving merely for a few days or weeks of quiet?
Voices of Peace
In the long view -- and who could have a longer view than the man who, until recently, was the U.S. State Department's Middle East negotiator for the past 12 years? -- Dennis Ross believes that diplomacy in the Middle East boils down to psychology. "The idea of taking politics out of foreign policy," Ross said, "is as illusory as taking psychology out of human behavior, and what is foreign policy after all, but a collection of human behaviors."
No Stranger to Controversy
From the start, Martin Indyk's career as a U.S. official has been filled with intrigue.As the first Jewish ambassador to Israel and later the top State Department official in charge of Middle East policy, Indyk's words and actions have been scrutinized by Jews and Arabs, by proponents and opponents of the peace process.
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