Ben Sales
By Ben Sales
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Fast Forward Orthodox vs. Orthodox as Right Wing Israeli Parties Feud
(JTA) — When haredi Orthodox political parties Shas and United Torah Judaism entered Israel’s governing coalition, they vowed to roll back a raft of recent religious reforms. In turn, the secularist Yesh Atid party raised its voice in protest. But now, the haredi parties have a more surprising opponent: Jewish Home, a fellow religious party…
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News Calling All Newlyweds — Now You Can Make Birthright Your Honeymoon
(JTA) — Jay and Mikelle sat next to each other on the bus as it ascended the road to Jerusalem. Later the same day they accompanied each other on an emotional trip to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum. The next day they planned to trek up to the desert fortress at Masada and swim together…
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Fast Forward Shlomo Riskin Controversy Bares New Feud for Israel Rabbinate
(JTA) — There’s no shortage of Israelis who want to reform the office of the Chief Rabbinate. Ranging from advocates of religion-state separation to leaders of Israel’s non-Orthodox movements to newspaper columnists, some want to end the Rabbinate’s monopoly over the country’s religious services; others want to dissolve it entirely. But this week, the Rabbinate…
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Fast Forward How FIFA Soccer Scandal Could Help Israel
(JTA)— Israelis were expecting some big news to come out of the annual FIFA Congress this week. But they probably weren’t expecting this. In a bombshell operation, a Swiss law enforcement team showed up at the Zurich hotel hosting the annual gathering of the international soccer organization — and arrested nine senior officials. The arrests…
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Fast Forward Israel Nixes Subsidies to Anti-Vaxxer Parents
(JTA) — Each month, the Israeli government sends a check to every Israeli family with at least one child. The more children you have, the more money you get. Unless, that is, you don’t vaccinate your children. According to a clause in the coalition agreement signed last month by the ruling Likud party and the haredi…
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The Schmooze Jimmy Wales Talks Wikipedia and Neutrality in Israel
(JTA) — The article’s first iteration — published amid the bloody second intifada, or Palestinian uprising — called it a “security fence” and focused on Israeli support. Within a half-hour, another editor added a sentence about a United Nations condemnation. Later that day, the phrase “apartheid wall” appeared, using the Palestinians’ preferred term. Following thousands of…
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Fast Forward 5 Reasons Benjamin Netanyahu Is Struggling To Build a Coalition
On March 17, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a landslide. His 30 Knesset seats were the largest tally for a single party in 13 years, and six more than his nearest opponent. (JTA) And his path to a coalition was clear: partner with the haredim, reconnect with three right-wing or center-right parties — all…
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Fast Forward Israel Coalition Deal May Kill Haredi Draft Law
(JTA) — So, the Israel Defense Forces won’t be drafting haredi Orthodox Israelis, after all. That’s the upshot of a coalition deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reportedly sign with United Torah Judaism, Israel’s Ashkenazi haredi Orthodox party. The agreement, which Likud and UTJ could ink as soon as Wednesday, would repeal a spate…
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