This is the Forward’s coverage of Israel, the Jewish state in the Middle East founded in 1948.
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Fast Forward Israel Frees Palestinian Prisoner Whose Hunger Strike Sparked Protests
Israel freed a Palestinian prisoner from jail on Monday, completing a deal agreed earlier this year in exchange for him halting a lengthy hunger strike that almost killed him. Samer al-Issawi stopped his eight-month, on-off fast last April. His confinement had stoked weeks of protests in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel convicted Issawi of shooting…
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The Schmooze Bibi’s $1,700 Scented Candle Bill
(JTA) — Israel’s first family seems to like its creature comforts. The prime minister’s official residence in Jerusalem spent $1,700 on scented candles and more than $4,200 on wine in 2012. There was also some $2,600 spent on mezuzahs. The water bill for the Netanyahus’ personal home in Caesarea was more than $20,000, possibly due to…
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Fast Forward Benjamin Netanyahu Blasts U.S. Spying on Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on allegations the United States had spied on Israel’s leaders, said on Monday such activity was unacceptable and had no place in the allies’ close relationship. Documents leaked on Friday by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden showed the NSA and its British counterpart GCHQ had in 2009…
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Israel News Google Glass Challenged by Israeli Startup Meta
(Haaretz) — Israeli startup Meta is set to take on Google Glass with its own model of augmented reality glasses, the Meta Pro, unveiled over the weekend. Weighing in at just 180 grams and shaped like normal sunglasses, the new model is considerably more advanced than the company’s older model, with advanced graphic capabilities, a…
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Fast Forward Gaza Rocket Strikes Near Israeli School
A rocket fired from Gaza landed in a residential area south of Ashkelon. The rocket was fired late Sunday night. No one was reported injured but light damage was reported. The Code Red incoming rocket alert was sounded in several areas in southern Israel before the rocket landed in Israeli territory. The remains of the…
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Israel News Swarthmore Hillel Gets Boost From Controversy Over Israel Critics
On a recent Friday night, members of Swarthmore College’s Hillel community gathered to celebrate Shabbat and reflect on a tumultuous week. With final exams set to begin in the morning, Hillel members in this Pennsylvania college expected a very low turnout. But to their delight, the room in Bond Hall, which houses Swarthmore’s interfaith religious…
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Fast Forward Israel’s Knesset Speaker Nixes Christmas Tree
Israeli Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said it would be inappropriate to place a Christmas tree on prominent display in the Knesset following a request from a Christian lawmaker. Edelstein suggested in a statement released Sunday that Hanna Swaid of the Israeli-Arab Hadash party, who is Christian, place a Christmas tree in his office or in…
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Fast Forward U.S. Rented Israel Apartment To Spy on Ehud Barak
The United States in 2007 rented an apartment directly across the road from then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak, it was reported in the wake of revelations that the U.S. and British intelligence were spying on Israeli leaders. Washington said the apartment was rented for a Marine working in the U.S. Embassy’s security department, Yediot Acharonot reported…
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