Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, said he is considering running for U.S. president in 2016, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The 73-year-old founder of the eponymous financial information group was critical of the quality of debate in the presidential contest and said he was “looking at all the options”…
Right-wing rocker Ted Nugent made an anti-Semitic Facebook post blaming prominent Jews for pushing gun control, and urging followers to “raise maximum hell to shut them down!” Published Monday, the post included images of Jewish politicians and activists — including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Democratic New York…
The majority of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza oppose a third intifada, according to a new poll, reversing the popular sentiment from three months ago. The poll of 1,200 Palestinians conducted by the West Bank-based Arab World for Research and Development firm in late January was released on Sunday. Regarding a third intifada,…
Three Arab-Israeli lawmakers were suspended on Monday from speaking in parliament as punishment for supporting families of Palestinian assailants killed by security forces after they attacked Israelis. The Knesset Ethics Committee ruled that Balad party members Hanin Zoabi and Basel Ghattas would be barred from plenum and committee business for four months and Jamal Zahalka…
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was heckled and some worshippers walked out during his speech at a New York City synagogue’s Shabbat services. Ban did not mention Israel during an address on Saturday morning at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan in which he condemned intolerance and bigotry, the Times of Israel reported. Members of the…
U.S. officials reportedly have urged Israel to sign the 10-year foreign aid package on the table, saying it will not get a better deal with the next president. “Even as we grapple with a particularly challenging budget environment, this administration’s commitment to Israel’s security is such that we are prepared to sign an MOU [memorandum…
Jewish schools were among those targeted by bomb threats in the United Kingdom. Bomb threats were called in to seven schools shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. No explosive devices were found in the schools, and none were evacuated, according to reports. The Community Security Trust, Britain’s Jewish community security umbrella, in a tweet advised the…
(JTA) — In the summer of 2011, Lizzi Heydemann returned to her native Chicago to establish a Jewish community loosely modeled on Ikar, the Los Angeles congregation where she had spent two years as a rabbinic intern. She set about harvesting email addresses and putting out the word on social media. Heydemann called her community…
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said he took advice on the Middle East from J Street and the Arab American Institute. The Vermont Independent senator, mounting a tough challenge to front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination, has been under pressure to provide details on his foreign policy. Clinton, a former secretary of state, has…
An Alaskan rabbi, invited to offer the daily opening prayer in the Senate, prayed for the United States to lead in the fight against terrorism worldwide. “Grant, Almighty God, that the Members of the Senate, who assembled here today, to fulfill one of Your Seven Commandments, the Commandment to govern by just laws, understand that…
Israel plans to increase the number of entry permits it grants to Palestinian workers, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Monday, in a drive to ease economic hardship that has contributed to a wave of Palestinian attacks. Publicly, the Israeli government has accused Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas and Islamist groups, of inciting violence….
