A new survey of international opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict found that respondents in most countries favor their governments not taking sides. The survey, conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org, a consortium affiliated with the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, found that in 14 out of 18 nations, people say their governments should…
A number of Zionist groups have won a battle to keep their influence at the American branch of a prominent Jewish organization. The American branch of Jewish National Fund, a storied organization that played a critical role in building the State of Israel, recently took steps to add board members. The move would have had…
Jerusalem — The deadly terrorist attack by an Arab bulldozer driver on a crowded street here Wednesday raised questions anew about how Israeli authorities can protect against attacks by lone assailants from eastern Jerusalem. At least three people were killed and dozens injured in the noontime attack on Jaffa Road. Husam Duwayat, a 30-year-old father…
If Americans carry a national stereotype about Israelis, it probably revolves around images of a tough-talking, hummus-fed group of cynics. Tel Aviv-born actress Meital Dohan did little to disabuse American audiences of that notion during her weekly appearances two years ago on “Weeds,” the acerbic Showtime series in which she played Yael Hoffman, a rabbinical…
On June 22, Hasidic singing sensation Lipa Schmeltzer stepped out to greet his fans in one of his first large-scale appearances since a firestorm erupted over the cancellation of his concert, “The Big Event.” Making appearances at three stores in the Boro Park neighborhood of Brooklyn just one week after the release of his newest…
700 HELP INAUGURATE FIRST-EVER UJA-FEDERATION WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY LUNCH It was a double-nachas day for real estate mogul Larry Silverstein when his wife, Klara, and daughter, Lisa, received the Philanthropy Award at the May 29 UJA-Federation of New York’s Women’s Philanthropy inaugural luncheon. “Our greatest gift is to inspire future generations,” said Klara, whose roster of…
About 150 Jewish voters gathered in June at a private home in Los Angeles for what marked a new phase in Senator Barack Obama’s outreach effort to the Jewish community. Some were longtime Obama supporters who came to hear what kind of help they can offer as the campaign moves to the general election from…
The steady decline of the American dollar is causing financial headaches for American Jewish organizations with overseas operations, forcing some of the most prominent agencies to cut staff and scale back services. On June 24, the Jewish Agency for Israel wrapped up a meeting of its board of governors facing a shortfall of $20 million…
Haifa, Israel – Prime Minister Ehud Olmert managed to hang on to power by his nails last week, after persuading the Labor Party to drop a bill to dissolve parliament just hours before the scheduled vote. The price Olmert paid was a promise to Labor leader Ehud Barak that the Kadima party will hold new…
In the wake of an outcry from Chicago-area Jews, the Windy City’s only Jewish museum closed down a high-profile maps exhibition that parsed the issue of Israel’s borders and boundaries. The Spertus Museum, part of the 84-year-old Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, located on Chicago’s South Loop, announced June 20 that it was shutting down…
The United Nations’ Children Fund, UNICEF, has landed in troubled Middle Eastern waters. On June 19, UNICEF swore off any relationship with a controversial Israeli diamond mogul, Lev Leviev, because of his construction of settlements in the Palestinian territories. UNICEF officials said the reason for the move was that Leviev’s construction activities in the West…
