The parties that make up Belgium’s federal government have agreed to recognize Palestinian statehood unilaterally, a Belgian daily reported. The four parties reached an agreement earlier this week, the Le Soir daily reported Wednesday. They intend to submit a motion to parliament formulating support for recognizing Palestinian statehood, which the parties intend to pass in…
A third-year student at Georgetown University’s law school is suing Rabbi Barry Freundel, his Washington synagogue, the adjacent mikvah and her own law school for allowing Freundel’s alleged misdeeds to go unchecked. The unidentified student’s suit was filed Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court by attorney Steven Silverman of Baltimore. She said she was lured to…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed on Wednesday for a “clear mandate” from voters in the early election he called, with opinion polls showing the right-wing leader on track for a fourth term. A day after Netanyahu fired centrist members of his feuding governing coalition, faction leaders in parliament agreed on a March 17 date…
French police arrested two men who are suspected of racially motivated violence against a Jewish couple near Paris. The assault occurred Monday in the suburb of Creteil, the Le Parisien daily reported Tuesday. Three men carrying weapons forced their way into an apartment where the parents of one of the victims live. Police do not…
(JTA) — France’s parliament is calling for Palestinian statehood recognition. On Tuesday, the National Assembly voted 339 to 151 in favor of the largely symbolic motion that “invites the French government to use the recognition of the state of Palestine as an instrument to bring about a definitive resolution of the conflict.” It also says that…
Video: Nate Lavey As the U.S. Congress haggles over a budget deal, tax-break extensions and other thorny matters, lawmakers from both parties appear united on one thing: Nazis should not receive U.S. government retirement benefits. The House plans to take up the No Social Security for Nazis Act on Tuesday. The Senate will vote on…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his finance and justice ministers on Tuesday, signaling the break up of his bickering coalition and opening the way for early national elections in Israel. Netanyahu’s government, which only took office last year, has been unraveling over an array of issues, including the 2015 budget and a Jewish nation-state bill…
British soccer player Mario Balotelli, who grew up the foster son of a Jewish mother, apologized for a racist and anti-Semitic post on his Instagram page. Balotelli apologized on Tuesday on Twitter for the post, which features a photo of Nintendo computer game character Super Mario and reads, in part, that the character “jumps like…
An escape plan was put in place for convicted spy-for-Israel Jonathan Pollard but he circumvented it and sought asylum at Israel’s embassy in Washington, his former handler said. “I got the call that he is waiting at the entrance of the embassy … and I immediately said ‘throw him out.’ I don’t regret it,” former…
Turkish Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva met with Pope Francis on the Catholic spiritual leader’s first official visit to Turkey. Francis, who was born in Argentina, and Haleva met privately for about 15 minutes on Sunday, Vatican Radio reported. The two conversed in Spanish, which is Haleva’s maternal language as a Sephardic Jew of Spanish descent….
Israel appeared to be headed on Tuesday toward an early election after right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his major centrist coalition partner failed to patch up differences. Netanyahu’s government, which is dominated by the right and came to power early last year, has been unraveling over a range of issues including the 2015 budget….
