Israel’s Cabinet unanimously approved a plan to improve the absorption of Ethiopian immigrants into Israeli society. The plan, approved Sunday at the regular Cabinet meeting, is designed to accelerate the integration process for the second-generation members of the Ethiopian immigrant community into Israeli society and eradicate displays of racism against the community. Under the plan,…
New York’s kosher law, which regulates the labeling and marketing of kosher food, does not violate the Constitution’s First Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled. The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled May 10 in a constitutional challenge to the New York State Kosher Law Protection Act of…
Israeli President Shimon Peres returned home from the hospital after hernia surgery. Peres returned home Sunday after undergoing the surgery on May 11 at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. Doctors said the surgery was successful. The hernia was discovered in Peres’ abdomen during his state visit last week to Canada. He did not…
It was a beautiful, partially cloudy spring day in Jerusalem on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius in the shade. A perfect day for strolling around nearly any part of the city, with one truly glaring exception: the Western Wall Plaza. The glaring whiteness of the plaza pavement reflected the heat, and the complete…
The 27 foreign ministers of the European Union are expected on Sunday to issue a harsh denunciation of Israel’s activities on the West Bank. The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council will criticize violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians and will call on Israel to remove restrictions on Palestinian construction and economic development projects in Area C…
A number of social justice rallies were held across Israel on Saturday evening, with the largest taking place in Tel Aviv where thousands of people gathered in Rabin Square. Protest marches in Tel Aviv began in the Shapira, Levinsky, and Hatikva neighborhoods, before uniting and continuing on to Rabin Square. Demonstrators chanted “We want justice,…
A light earthquake was felt Friday in several cities throughout northern and central Israel. Dozens of Israelis from across the country called police stations to report the earthquake, which was felt a little before 10 P.M. Reports came from northern Israeli cities such as Safed and Haifa and central Israeli cities such as Jerusalem and…
The political storm that swept across the country this week obscured the huge dramas that are continuing to roll across the Middle East. The Arab Spring refuses to end. This week, too, the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad continued to kill civilians and opposition activists who are trying to drive out the regime. In…
Israeli President Shimon Peres underwent surgery on Friday to treat a hernia in his abdomen. He was hospitalized in the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, and doctors said the operation was successful. The hernia was discovered during the president’s state visit to Canada. He was treated by his personal doctor Prof. Rafi Walden. Peres…
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s CEO is stepping down. The JDC announced Friday that Steven Schwager would step down as CEO on at the end of June and will retire from the organization in January 2013. Schwager has served as CEO since 2002 and has been with the Jewish international humanitarian assistance organization since…
Britain reportedly is urging its European partners to reconsider one of the most biting Iran sanctions among those set to kick in this summer. A broad range of European Union sanctions targeting Iran’s energy sector include a ban on insuring ships that transport Iranian oil. The New York Times reported Friday that Britain, a longtime…
