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Tag: Terrorism
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Habonim spirit influences work of director Mike Leigh in ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’
Leigh's physician father and midwife mother met through Habonim, the Labor Zionist youth movement, in 1936. Mike Leigh, in turn, became a Habonim leader and traveled with the group to Israel on a ship as a teenager. The experience had a dramatic effect on his future work as an artist: "The atmosphere was one of chevrah, of sharing, openness and coming together -- of making things happen by colluding -- which describes the spirit of how I work with actors and the atmosphere of my rehearsals."
Azzam the American not dead
Palin gets feminist endorsement, says Obama would ‘pal around with terrorists’
Seven years ago …
Azzam the American—aka Adam Gadahn—believed dead
Origins of terrorism: blame the Jews
From Pakistan to the Jewish Journal
Creator of ‘24’ talks terrorism and Hollywood
Scientist accused of anthrax killings was a religious man
Al Qaeda: jihadi country club
Munich massacre survivor still carries Olympic scars
Thirty-six years on, Munich survivor Dan Alon still carries the scars of the 1972 massacre of Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games, which he and four others escaped.
Islamic terrorism’s tipping point in India
Third of British Muslim students support killing for Islam’s sake
Israel trades murderer for soldiers’ bodies
Bin Laden the Jew and ‘Protocols’ of al Qaeda
The trouble with seeking Muslim moderates in Iraqi prisons
The blood they gave lasted less than a day
Bulldozing terrorist kills three in Jerusalem
Homegrown terrorist who planned Los Angeles attacks sentenced to 22 years
A member of a four-man homegrown terrorist cell that planned to attack Israeli and Jewish targets three years ago in Los Angeles was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison on Monday
Terror cell member sentenced for plotting LA attacks
The inner jihad: Islamic extremism attacks itself
Summer reading: ‘No god but God’
Tolerance Museum director doesn’t tolerate status quo
The Museum of Tolerance is rarely the same experience twice, even with its permanent exhibits. New visuals, soundtracks and materials are added to keep the displays current and relevant. And while many people think of the museum as a "Jewish" institution, it is the "human" experience that touches upon issues that affect visitors of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.
Fauxmemoirist likens gangsters to suicide bombers
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.
Voice of reason in a sea of insanity, Jewish Dodgers, Prager, archaeologists, politicians and peace
letters to the editor
Letter from Jerusalem
Condolence visits are part of a rabbi's life, but no one ever taught us how to make nine visits in a 48-hour period. We arrived in Israel on the morning of Tuesday, March 11, and left Israel the following night. Our mission, representing the Rabbinical Council of America, was to express solidarity with the families of the victims of the terror attack at yeshivat Mercaz Harav, comfort the injured in the hospitals and visit the yeshiva.
Israel faces grim intelligence estimate
Last week's terrorist attack at a Jerusalem yeshiva and the new Israeli national intelligence assessment presented to the Cabinet on Sunday underscore the acute security problems Israel faces this year and beyond.
Why Israel must kvetch
If there's one question I've heard a thousand times from Jews all over, it is this: Why is Israel so bad at PR? I know that when Jews ask me that question, they're also saying, "Suissa, you're in the business, can't you do something?"
A letter to my secular friend in Tel Aviv
Let me tell you why you should feel for these yeshiva students: Because while you don't identify with them, they identified with you. I'm sure they might have reserved their own, passionate critique of your secular Tel Aviv lifestyle, but they sat in that yeshiva not merely because it gave them joy and a spiritual high, but because they wanted you to be safe.
Only the best go there
There are moments when half a world away seems right around the corner. At Young Israel of Century City (YICC) on Sunday afternoon, Israel's pain at the murder of eight young yeshiva students burned through the Los Angeles Jewish community, just as it has in Jerusalem, where the boys lived, and as it has through Jewish communities throughout the world. The death of eight innocent boys studying Torah at Yeshiva Mercaz Harav shrunk the world.
Protesters and counter-protesters flank Wilshire Boulevard
Demonstrations and counter demonstrations in Los Angeles following the terrorist attack on Mercaz Harav yeshiva.
Jerusalem killing hits home for local yeshiva students
"You hear about tragedies in Israel, but it hits so close to home because this is us next year. Next year we're going to yeshiva," said Chaim Gamzo, a 17-year-old senior. "These guys had their whole lives ahead of them -- like me. I hope to go to yeshiva, to go to college, to have a normal successful life, but they didn't have the opportunity to do that."
Yeshiva terror attack cut religious Zionists deeply
In the close-knit world of religious Zionism, no one feels far removed from the grief for eight young people gunned down while studying Talmud in their Jerusalem yeshiva.
Ashkelon is the new front line in the war with Gaza
Practically overnight, life in this quiet coastal city has changed dramatically. Thirteen rockets landed in Ashkelon over the course of four days, and with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) having launched a ground invasion into Gaza over the weekend, shaken residents here suddenly find themselves in a war zone.
Israel weighs novel ideas to counter Hamas rockets
With Israel still facing Hamas rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip following the end of the army's limited ground operation there, the Israeli government is considering stronger follow-up measures.
Families of terror victims can have their day in court
About 20 lawsuits targeting the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) -- some dating back to the mid-1990s -- have been held up in recent months while the Bush administration considered a federal judge's request to weigh in on the issue. In a Feb. 29 letter to Judge Victor Marrero of the U.S. District Court in New York, the Bush administration made clear it did not want to intervene -- for now.
Sunday rally planned to support Israel
The Simon Wiesenthal Center and Young Israel of Century City are holding a memorial rally on Sunday, March 9 at 4 p.m., in honor of the eight yeshiva students killed in a terror attack at Mercaz Harav in Jerusalem. StandWithUs and others will demonstrate in support of Israel in front of the Israeli Consulate at noon on Friday in response to a protest scheduled at the same time by the UC Irvine Muslim Student Union.
Thousands mourn as yeshiva terrror attack victims are buried
Thousands of mourners turned out Friday for the funerals of the eight students, aged 15 to 26, killed in Thursday's attack at a prominent yeshiva in Jerusalem.
With security focus on Gaza, terror strikes a Jerusalem yeshiva
While Israel's eyes were focused on the security threat from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, terrorism struck in the heart of the Jewish state. A gunman stormed into the Yeshivat Mercaz Harav complex in west Jerusalem late Thursday, mowing down students who had gathered in the dining room for the traditionally intensive pre-Shabbat classes. Medical officials put the death toll at eight, with at dozens wounded, several critically.
Threats from Hezbollah lead to new war fears
In the wake of last week's assassination of arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh, there are fears in the region that a massive attack by Hezbollah against Israeli interests could spark a new Middle East war.
As Gaza strikes Sderot again and again, Israel weighs attack options
After a Qassam rocket attack seriously injured two brothers in the Israeli border town of Sderot, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert again came under intense pressure to launch a major military strike against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Briefs: Sderot—the missiles keep coming; Dimona terror bomb kills one Israeli
Qassams Hit Two Sderot Factories
Palestinians launched rockets from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel Tuesday. One went through the roof of a factory in Sderot's industrial zone. The other hit a container of diesel but did not explode.
Members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, as well as the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they were in response to the killing of a senior PRC leader by Israeli forces Monday.
Israeli strategists weigh Gaza options
The collapse of the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has done much more than break Israel's siege of the Hamas-run strip. It also has opened up new, far-reaching strategic options for Israel while exposing it to grave new dangers.
Some strategists say Israel should use the opportunity to force Gaza to look outward to Egypt, its natural Arab hinterland, and thereby reduce and eventually end Israeli responsibility for Gaza's fate. Others say such a handover of responsibility would expose Israel to worse terrorism than ever and that Israel instead should clamp down on all crossing points: between Israel and Gaza, Gaza and Egypt, and Israel and Egypt.
In Tunisia, Jews enjoy stability, but not democracy
In many ways Tunisia is unique in the Arab world. Tunisia's president promotes education and protects Tunisian Jews from the chaos and religious extremism enveloping much of North Africa. Tunisia has also played a very constructive and positive role in the Middle East peace process. However, stability in Tunisia -- for its Jews and for the country as a whole -- has come at the expense of democratic rights.
Could Tony Blair be the one?
There was one big question left unanswered when Tony Blair spoke last Monday evening at the opening of American Jewish University's (AJU) 2007 lecture series.
A culture of violence or a cult of the superficial?
When The Journal asked me to write a note about the murder of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, I initially declined. I did not feel I had anything insightful or original to add to the dozens of gloomy and desperate articles we have been receiving by Pakistanis and Western analysts in the wake of that horrible tragedy.
Who killed Benazir Bhutto?
The tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto will engulf Pakistan in grief and turmoil. Her death symbolizes the wider calamity that envelops us all -- throughout the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States.
It’s time to act on Saudis’ support of terror
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was stunned at the hostile reception he received during a recent visit to London. It seems our British friends are much more attuned than we are to the nefarious role the Saudis continue to play in financing and fomenting terror.
Briefs: Three plead guilty in SoCal terror plot; Report says UCI acted properly
Three members of an Islamic terrorist cell who were on the verge of attacking the Israeli consulate, an El Al ticket counter and two synagogues, face up to 20 to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to conspiring to levy war against the United States.
Annapolis parlay repeating the mistakes of Oslo
Before year's end, a U.S.-sponsored conference involving Israel and the Palestinian Authority will convene in Annapolis, Md., to frame yet another plan to end the Arab-Israeli war and create a Palestinian state. Sadly, this conference has as much chance of succeeding as did Oslo, because the same mistakes that ensured failure then are being made now.
Israel cuts power and fuel to Gaza in bid to stop rocket attacks
In the face of unceasing rocket attacks on Israeli towns, cities and kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip, Israeli leaders approved the new policy to reduce fuel and electricity to the territory as the most humane way of trying to persuade Gaza's terrorist Hamas leadership to keep the peace.
Know Thine Enemy
All this doesn't mean Israel and the West shouldn't take note of and act on legitimate grievances in the Muslim world. There is no good reason to add to the pool of angry or disenfranchised Muslims willing to fall for bin Laden's hellfire and brimstone. But Raymond Ibrahim's solid research should serve as a corrective to those demagogues who would have the world believe that terrorism begins and ends with Israel.
Should Israel leave Hamas out of negotiations?
In the run-up to the regional peace parley in November, Israeli decision makers are facing an increasingly acute dilemma: How to deal with the Hamas terrorists who control Gaza.
What, me worrisome?
Bush picks Orthodox Mukasey for Attorney General
Profile of Michael Mukasey, conservative judge and Orthodox Jew, chosen by President Bush to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General.
Israeli Web site Debka.com at center of New York ‘dirty bomb’ tip
An Israeli couple who blog about terrorism have achieved international fame -- and a bit of notoriety -- by setting off a "dirty bomb" scare in New York City.
Harry Potterstein?
As I, along with millions of others, sped through "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," I found myself picking up on more than a few new spells and the ingenuity of J.K. Rowling's enthralling writing (don't worry -- it's safe to read on. No spoilers here).
An open letter to a Hamas supporter in Gaza
‘Hamastan’ in Gaza is a big challenge for Egypt, too
The emergence of "Hamastan" in Gaza sent leaders in the Middle East and elsewhere scrambling for an answer: Whose fault is it? Is it reversible? Will the same thing happen in the West Bank? What should and could be done now?
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.
Does Hamas takeover mean new hope for kidnapped Israeli soldier?
Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip is spurring hope for the safe return of an Israeli soldier kidnapped nearly a year ago by the fundamentalist Islamic group, even as it issued a terse warning to Israel not to harm its leaders "or forget about Gilad Shalit."
On screen, Danny Pearl’s story astounds
As the credits rolled after a preview screening of the docudrama, "A Mighty Heart," the audience, consisting of a small group of film critics, sat in stunned silence.
‘Mighty Heart’ preview draws stars Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman
The Wednesday night preview audience for "A Mighty Heart," which tracks the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl by Islamic extremists, got an unexpected bonus when the film's stars, Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman, dropped in unannounced.
Have Jews lost their mojo?
In a brilliant article in Haaretz, Moshe Arens explains why you can't deter terrorists, you can only fight them. It's time for Jews of all stripes to get their mojo back, and join the PR fight.
Israel is bracing for a long struggle with Hamas
With no end in sight to Qassam rocket attacks on Israeli civilians near the border with Gaza, the Israeli government is preparing for a long struggle against radical, Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists.
Israeli Institute tracks tricks and trends in terrorism
"Here's what you do," counseled Ganor, executive director of the International Institute for Counter Terrorism (ICT) in Herzliya. "Take aboard some explosives, because there's hardly any chance of two bombs being on the same plane." This was about the first and last light moment at the seminar hosted here recently at the Israeli consulate, with the weighty title, "Combating International Terrorism: Current and Future Trends and Domestic Implications."
Rockets raining on Sderot take physical and mental toll on city
It's a smooth car ride to Sderot. There's very little traffic on this Sunday between Jerusalem and the battered city. Sunflower fields line the road and then the vast prairies of the Negev; it's difficult to fathom that only a few kilometers away rockets are raining.
Rocket attacks pose huge policy dilemma for Israel
More than a week of unabated Qassam rocket attacks on Sderot has created a huge policy dilemma for the Israeli government: What should it do to stop radical Gaza-based terrorists from firing missiles on Israeli civilians and causing pandemonium in the border town of 22,000.
High-tech company offers portable solutions for Israel’s shelter shortage
On May 20, Operation LifeShield, a nonprofit organization founded to provide emergency relief from missile attacks in Israel, unveiled in Jerusalem its transportable bomb shelters, dubbed "LifeShields," for use in public areas such as parks, school, playgrounds, hospitals and busy intersections. Each shelter is made of 12-inch-thick steel-reinforced concrete, is large enough to accommodate 30 people and is built to withstand direct hits from both Qassam and Katyusha rockets.
Army base provides haven for refugees from Sderot
Driven from their homes by Qassam rockets, Eimvet Yitao and her colleagues from a Sderot day care center gathered under the shade of a sprawling tree at an army center in Givat Olga, swapping stories of their fears.
Pick your redemption
In the spiritual realm, they tell you there are no coincidences -- everything that happens to us holds a divine message. What could be the message in this unusual sequence of events: a little barbecue party for two young girls who were caught in a Jerusalem bombing, followed by a masterful presentation on the final days of global redemption?
Briefs: Koufax and SLO power-hitter named draft IBL picks; Iran top terror sponsor
World news briefs.
Books: Yehoshua’s latest explores boundaries of responsibility
The U.S publishers hated the title of A.B. Yehoshua's latest book "The Mission of the Human Resources Manager." It was, they argued, better suited to a personnel manual than the work of one of Israel's most venerated authors. Ignoring Yehoshua's pleas, they christened the novel's English translation "A Woman in Jerusalem," and the book became a nominee for this year's prestigious Los Angeles Times Book Prize, to be announced at the Times' Festival of Books this weekend (see story page 36).
Israel Independence Day—then and now
Cartoon.
Persia held hostage, film at 11
Cartoon.
Pelosi-Palooza
To paint the Pelosi trip as anything less than helpful to American and Israeli interests, and to depict Pelosi and those who accompanied her as anything less than firm and diplomatic in representing American interests, is foolish.
Resident heroes of Sderot mark Pesach under rocket threat
There are some, however, who will not share our sense of security this year. These people, although they live in the homeland of the Jewish people, will not be singing joyful songs with full gusto or reclining in freedom with the same sense of relaxation as royalty this coming Passover -- they are the citizens of the city of Sderot.
Daniel Pipes fights the worldwide threat of Islamism—from Malibu
Like his father, Daniel Pipes has a reputation for bluntness and a willingness to go against conventional wisdom -- both in the academy and elsewhere. Whereas Richard Pipes sounded the alarm against appeasing the Soviets, Daniel Pipes preaches against working with radical Muslims, no matter how law-abiding, scholarly or open-minded they might appear.
Israel labor strike called off; U.S. Jews against Iraq war most strongly
Faith-based foreign policy faces perils ahead
A stubbornly ideological administration has put the United States in a deep hole in the international arena -- and a vulnerable Israel could pay a big price for playing along with the true believers in Washington.
Briefs: L.A. Koreans and Jews protest anti-Semitic cartoons published in South Korea; Police Chief Bratton warns terrorism will be threat for the rest of our lives
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.
The Lion in Waiting
In person Barak is somehow both more and less imposing than he seems from afar.
Palestinian terror reaches Eilat
Eilat generally has escaped the violence of the six-year Palestinian intifada, but even its remote setting couldn't forever insulate the Red Sea resort city from the region's tensions.
New ‘big idea’ for Mideast could be big trouble
If globalization wasn't going to cure the Middle East, what would? Obvious, said the neoconservatives: democracy. The root cause of the problems in Middle East, they said, is the absence of democracy and the continued rule of dictators.
Fated to Meddle
In other words, if your take on our role in the Middle East is limited to just oil, or just freedom and democracy, or just imperialism -- Oren's meticulously researched and grippingly narrated book will school you.
Despite past sparks, Al-Marayati wants Jewish dialogue
"I want my children to have a future of hope, a future where they can contribute positively to American society as Muslims," Al-Marayati said. "I don't want a future of prejudice, fear and victimization."
U.K. Jews in danger; Olmert in Jordan; Israel in British Commonwealth?
Briefs
Director Zwick excavates the bloody price of ‘Diamonds’
"Blood Diamond," among other subjects, focuses on how the worldwide demand for diamonds allowed violent, inhumane rebels in the West African nation of Sierra Leone to fund their atrocities through a smuggling scheme.
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.
That gas pump is a giant Saudi tzedakah box
It is estimated that this year, American Jews will send approximately $660 million to Saudi Arabia.
You didn't fold a piece of cardboard or stuff an envelope, but the commitment was as good as a pledge. Maybe even better.
Two-state solution ASAP only chance for peace
Gaza's economy, health care and social services are near collapse, and there are growing signs of malnutrition. Sixty percent of the population is without electricity, due to Israel's bombing of Gaza's only power station.
A way to peace: carrot-and-stick approach might break impasse
Political impasses are unstable. So is ours. Sooner or later, the volatile situation will erupt, and a new reality will be created.
Enforce cease-fire terms for peaceful New Year
This summer, as Israel was under fire, the Jews of the world spoke together and stood together. It is well known that as Jews we band together in times of hardship. Never was that more true than during this past summer. Jews in Israel and around the world understood the stakes and made standing with Israel their first priority.
Better late than never, Theodor Herzl, children reunited in death; Ex-N.J. Governor McGreevey’s Isra
Briefs courtesy Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
World plays waiting game with Hamas
The call for a Palestinian national unity government has unified just about everyone except the Palestinians.
For Rosh Hashanah: Make your own joy
World War I, Fascism, Nazism, Stalinism, Maoism, Auschwitz and Hiroshima: I, for one, was delighted to see the 20th century end. Because how could the next one be worse? But halfway through the first decade of the 21st century, we are beginning to see how.
Rabbi Wolpe fights cancer battle; Terror victim becomes advocate for others
Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple informed his congregation by letter this week that he was recently diagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma; Anna Krakovich survived a suicide bomb attack to become a response team leader for SELAH; Salman Rushdie speaks out as pro-Israel Muslim; Israeli and American staff and campers at the Union for Reform Judaism's Camp Newman collaborated on recording a song titled "Kol Yisrael (We Are All Connected)."
Salman Rushdie Q & A: there's a fascination with death among suicide bombers
Salmon Rushdie reflects on why apparently normal young men turn to terror, the dangers of religion and whether the United States has turned into an authoritarian state.
Pearl, Ahmed Awarded $100K Prize for Fight Against Intolerance; Shin Bet Seeks High-Tech Experts
Judea Pearl and Akbar Ahmed, a Jew and a Muslim, are the joint recipients of a new $100,000 prize for their campaign against intolerance and the roots of terrorism.
Ex-Iran President’s U.S. Visit Is Slap in the Face
The issuance of a U.S. visa to Mohammad Khatami, former president of the Islamic Republic of Iran until he was succeeded by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Khatami's presence this week on
U.S. soil, is an insult to the American people, a slap in the face to Iran's pro-democracy movement, a mockery of the immigration and anti-terrorism laws and a continuation of the schizophrenic nonpolicy of the U.S. State Department.
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Conspiracy Theories Continue to Blame Jews and Israel Five Years After 9/11
As the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, approaches, the date has become synonymous with the image of wanton destruction. And in addition to the massive loss caused by the attacks, they spawned another form of unrelenting damage -- a host of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories implicating the Jews and Israel in the bloodshed.
Israel, U.S. Act on Request for Renewable Energy
Under the proposed U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act, scientists and engineers from both countries would focus on research, development and commercial use of renewable energy from solar, wind, hydrogen and biofuel sources.
Will They Ever Understand an Israeli’s Mind-Set?
I am lying in my Tel Aviv bed long after midnight, soaking my pillow with tears.
My cries are echoing in the house. My folks are fast asleep. The war with Lebanon has finally hit me.
Final Reckoning—Israel’s Defeat
It's hard to remember now, but we began this war with the sympathy of a large part of the international community. Some Arab leaders, for the first time in the history of the Middle East conflict, actually blamed other Arabs for initiating hostilities with Israel.
Worldwide Anti-Semitism Rises With Mideast Conflict
Since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began in mid-July, a form of hate older than the Jewish state increasingly is rearing its ugly head: anti-Semitism.
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Mideast Fighting Strains Fragile Interfaith Ties
Overall, though, Jewish-Muslim relations are strained, and tensions will likely worsen before getting better, predicts Rabbi John Rosove, senior rabbi at Temple Israel of Hollywood.
Q & A With Ehud Danoch
Ehud Danoch, who has served as consul general of Israel in Los Angeles since October 2004, has been working round the clock since fighting first broke out between Israel and its neighbors in late June.
Students Draw on Movie for Tolerance Mural Inspiration
Gayle Gale started Kids for Peace after she returned to Los Angeles from a series of trips to Israel as a visiting artist at Ben-Gurion University, Beersheba in 1994 and 1995. With assistance from the local Israeli consulate and a grant obtained with help from the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity from the Jewish Community Foundation, she set out to teach youth about Israel through artistic means. In the years since, Gale has found herself doing much more.
One More Casualty in Crisis—Unilateralism
After the Lebanon and Gaza experiences -- sustained rocket attacks on Israel in the wake of unilateral pullouts -- will Olmert still want to adopt last summer's Gaza model of withdrawal without agreement, or will he seek a different formula, such as bilateral arrangements with moderate Palestinian leaders or the introduction of international forces to keep the peace after Israel pulls back?
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Letters, we get letters! And email!
Letters to the editor: Jewish Converts' Hardships; Kosher Meat; Response to Rob Eshman on The Terrorist Finance Tracking Program; Response to '20+ Ideas to Jump-Start Jewish L.A.'
Sderot Attack Interrupts Villaraigosa’s Call
"This experience shook all of us to our core," Villaraigosa said in a statement. "I have tremendous respect for Mayor Moyal and the people of Sderot, who live their lives in the shadow of terror. It makes you grateful for the peace and safety that we have here in Los Angeles."
Pentecostal Revival Embraces Israel
The focus of the centennial celebration was on exuberant worship services and prayer. For these unshakeable believers in the literal truth of the Jewish and Christian bibles, a kinship to Jews and especially Israel is a given.
Israel Holds Off on Bombing Response
More than 40 people were injured in attack, several of them critically, rescue officials said. Guy Sadeh was among the first at the scene, passing by on his way to pick up new business cards. He helped treat and calm the injured.
"I saw things no one should see," Sadeh, 36, said as he lay on a hospital gurney while being treated for cuts on his right foot. His khaki pants were splattered with blood.
The View From L.A.: Hoping for the Best
As a new party, Kadima has not yet organized an American support group, but Handelsman predicted the establishment of such an organization in the next two years.
Wandering Jew - Propaganda for the Insipid
Overall, I felt the conference made every issue black and white. You're either for Israel or against it. You're either pro-Democracy or pro-evil regimes, as Israeli candidate for prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu put it, "The world is split between those who oppose terror and those who appease it."
Double Standard Exists on Terrorism
The Palestinian film, "Paradise Now," which describes in an understanding way the lives of two Palestinian terrorists, won a string of important awards from major film festivals, culminating in this month's Oscar nomination as best foreign film.
What’s So Bad About Torture?
Suppose your child were kidnapped. She is buried alive with a limited air supply. Police arrest one of the kidnappers. Indeed, he was on a store videotape luring the child and then abducting her. Witnesses saw him put the child in a car. His handwriting is on the ransom note. He admits he knows where she is but remains stubbornly unresponsive.
Staff Loyalties Stir Concern Over Work
There may be no greater test of the United Nations' vaunted neutrality than to be a Palestinian staffer of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip or West Bank.
Lawyer Floats Own Peace Plan at UCLA
Josef Avesar is a successful Encino lawyer who has a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It may be a pipe dream, he acknowledged, but the concept was intriguing enough to keep 300 Israelis, Arabs and Americans engaged during a recent three-hour symposium at UCLA.
A Question of Fairness
As Washington and the West weigh a cutoff of aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) could become a crucial lifeline to millions of Palestinian refugees who depend on it for vital services. However, the recent Palestinian parliamentary elections have revived a long-standing Israeli concern: that some of UNRWA's staff are members of Hamas or at least sympathize with the terrorist group's anti-Israel cause.
The Day a New Terrorism Was Born
The modern era of global terrorism was launched on Sept. 6, 1970, when Palestinian hijackers tried to seize four commercial airliners bound for New York and land them at a remote landing strip in the Jordanian desert. Until Sept. 11, the date was known as "the blackest day in aviation history."
A Bitter Pill for Europe to Swallow
Unnerved Danish members of the European Parliament refuse to comment on the violent protests in the Arab world and even normally chatty European analysts said in interviews that they are withholding speculation for fear of fanning the flames.
Will Europe Back Hamas Sans Conditions?
Fending off a hailstorm of Israeli criticism -- as well as a possible showdown with Washington -- Russia insisted it only wanted to help tame Hamas.
Seeing Red
There's no escaping Middle East politics, even living in Denmark, as this writer does. This tolerant nation of 5.3 million, of whom 3 percent are Muslim, finds itself, to its amazement, the target of a boycott and attacks on its embassies, corporations, soldiers and citizens across the Muslim world.
Give Peace a Shot
Mahmud, 24, and I, met at a Moroccan falafel place near Dupont Circle on a surprisingly sunny December afternoon. I'd guarantee that even if you looked carefully around the D.C. area, you would find very few "couples" like us -- a Palestinian from Nablus, and an Israeli from Herzliya, talking with such sincerity for more than two hours, catching up on life. A week prior to our meeting, Mahmud had returned from a visit to Nablus, his hometown, after four years away living rather comfortably in the United States. The story I heard that sunny afternoon accounts for why Hamas won the Palestinian elections in such a landslide.
Old-Fashioned Solution to Iran Problem
John McCain, Republican senator from Arizona and presidential hopeful, is absolutely right about the gravity of the threat from a nuclear Iran.
The ‘Munich’ Concern Is Us—Not Film
Were Spielberg another too-left Hollywood type who cavalierly flirted with the tough issues posed by "Munich" with no previous record of involvement or concern about Jewish matters, one might begin to fathom the nastiness of the attacks and the gratuitous personal barbs. But he comes to the movie with a distinguished, if not unparalleled, track record of achievement vis a vis the Jewish community, Israel and its image.
Will Violence Again Flare Up in 2006?
According to last week's Shin Bet report, arms smuggling into Gaza has skyrocketed sixfold since Israel left during the summer. In the West Bank, terrorists have already test fired a rocket in a bid to emulate the tactics of their Gazan comrades.
Seven Thumbs Up
An unscientific, random sample of moviegoers who turned out for the new Steven Spielberg's film, "Munich," overwhelmingly liked what they saw. All of these patrons saw the film at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood.
Judgment on ‘Munich’
Although there are flashbacks to the massacre throughout the film, the focus shifts to a meeting between Prime Minister Golda Meir and her top military and intelligence leaders.
Cowboys & Indians
One thing that stands out is this: Hollywood is making Westerns again, but this time, the Indians are Arab.
I'm not talking about the early Hollywood Indian -- a cartoon bad guy or buffoon who spoke pigeon English and was played by a white guy.
JDL’s Krugel Killed in Phoenix Prison
If Earl Krugel stood for anything, it was the principle that Jews should never retreat, never back down from a hostile world. The former Jewish Defense League (JDL) stalwart and his cohorts vocally, provocatively and sometimes violently fought back over decades of political activism.
Sharon Emerges as Rabin’s Heir
An Israeli assassin, a right-wing extremist, killed Rabin on Nov. 4, 1995. Had Rabin lived, would the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been resolved? Or would the peace process he started still have unraveled?
Nation & World Briefs
The Palestinian Authority (P.A.) appears to be on the verge of a long-awaited security reform in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Summit Tackles Iran Nukes, College Strife
More than 1,000 pro-Israel activists from across the United States will meet in Los Angeles for the Oct. 30-31 National Summit on Foreign Policy and Politics of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
U.S. Needs Time Frame on Iraq Mission
It's been nearly two and a half years since the president gave a triumphant speech about Iraq before a banner declaring, "Mission Accomplished."
Krugel Gets 20 Years for Bomb Plot
The proceedings brought an apparent close to a case that briefly riveted national attention in the immediate wake of the terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists on Sept. 11, 2001.
What Musharraf Should Say to Jews
Dialogue between Jews and Muslims is a necessary step toward easing world tension, and we are therefore pleased that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has addressed the American Jewish Congress last weekend in New York.
Holidays, Arrests Add to Terror Fears
Jewish community concerns over security have increased in recent months following the arrest and indictment of four men for allegedly planning attacks on local Jewish targets, including a synagogue and the Israeli consulate.
The Circuit
Heroes in Town
Friends of Israeli Firefighters (FIF) recently hosted a weekend community outreach to raise awareness for the battle against terrorism in both Israel and America. Various community-based functions were held throughout the weekend, including a forum on terrorism at the Clarity Theatre on Sept. 11 where members of the Israeli delegation answered questions and provided information about the mutual cooperation that exists between Israel and the United States in their battles to combat terrorism.
‘Fear of Unknown’ Enters Pop Culture
This Sunday, as America commemorates the fourth anniversary of the World Trade Center attack, films, television, plays and books are just beginning to grapple seriously with the phenomena of suicide bombings and terrorism.
The lag time between a cataclysmic experience and its absorption into the popular culture is hardly surprising.
Letters
The Other, Like A Virgin, Claim Won't Hold, Death By Oprah, Correction, Faith Remains, Terrorism Won, Junk Science, Gaza Sympathies,
Israel’s Future—Not Terrorism—Won in Gaza
After the dust has settled and Israel concludes its unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, a key issue will be whether the move will enhance its security or not. Will it be perceived as a "victory for terror" as the right wing has claimed, or a "base for Islamic terror" as former Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said? Or will it enhance Israel's overall security posture? There is absolutely no question at all that from a security perspective this move will in the short, medium and long run only enhance Israel's security.
The Gaza settlements were a strategic dinosaur. They were built in the early 1970s as a buffer between a hostile Egypt and a hostile Gaza. Israel has been at peace with Egypt for almost three decades. The nearest Egyptian gun or tank to the border with Israel is on the other side of the Suez Canal, hundreds of kilometers away. Given the massive military outlay in protecting the 8,000 or so settlers, Gush Katif had turned from a strategic asset to a strategic burden.
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Featured Stories
Los Angeles
VideoJew’s VideoGuide to L.A. #2—Driving from here to there
VideoJew Jay Firestone is back with the second 'volume' in his VideoGuide to L.A. This week -- driving around town
Calendar
Calendar Girls Picks and Clicks Oct. 11-17: Mr. Maus in the haus, Yiddishkayt, Sita Sings the Blues
Torah Portion
Restoring Moses
Parshat Ha'azinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52) It isn't nice to say, but if I were hanging out in the desert with my friends -- all excited about moving in to a land of milk, honey and great falafel -- and an old man with a stutter insisted on "speaking into our ears" a weird doom
