This is the Forward’s coverage of Israel, the Jewish state in the Middle East founded in 1948.
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Opinion Walking Off Birthright? Check Your Privilege
The activist group IfNotNow has a webpage devoted to arranging disruptions of Birthright trips. At notjustafreetrip.com you can sign up with them if you’re attending a Birthright trip and fill out a form letting them know what kind of support you need. One of the options is, “I want to take action on my trip.”…
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Fast Forward Airstrikes Blamed On Israel Hit Arms Depot And Hezbollah Base In Syria
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Airstrikes near Damascus blamed on Israel targeted an arms depot and hit a weapons storage facility controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the Tuesday night airstrikes, which Russia’s Defense Ministry said endangered two civilian flights landing at the Damascus and Beirut airports. Three Syrian soldiers also were…
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Fast Forward Netanyahu’s Coalition Dissolves, Israeli Elections Planned For Spring
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israelis will soon be heading toward the polls after the heads of all six coalition parties announced that they were dissolving the government, forcing new elections. “Out of national and budgetary responsibility, the leaders of the coalition parties decided, unanimously and unanimously, to dissolve the Knesset and go to new elections at…
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Israel News After Getting Kicked Off Birthright, Trio Regroups In West Bank
A day after being kicked off a Birthright Israel trip, three young American Jews went to the exact place Birthright would never take them: the West Bank. They are meeting with residents of a Bedouin village to ask them about living under Israel’s occupation of the territory, Emily Bloch said. Bloch, 29, along with Shira…
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Opinion Birthright Alumni Reflect On The New Trip Guidelines
Last summer, 13 activists staged dramatic walkouts from their Birthright trips. To prevent more, Birthright added a clause to their Code of Conduct, that participants commit not to “highjack” discussion by turning it toward the occupation. Last week, they made good on the new contract when several Americans were kicked off their Birthright program for…
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Opinion I Was Kicked Off Birthright For Asking Questions About The Occupation
On the fifth day of my Birthright trip, as we drove south from a Kibbutz up north to Tel Aviv, I asked our trip leader if the towering concrete wall I could see from my window was the wall that separates the West Bank from Israel. Two hours later, I stood on a street corner…
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Opinion Birthright Is Chasing Away Engaged Jews To Please Pro-Israel Hardliners
Picture the scene: A group of young American Jews, visiting Israel for the first time on Birthright, demand more education about the country and its politics, trying to realize an age-old Jewish ideal of sharp, open debate. They form new organizations and movements around Jewish political activism, and they form links with groups of Israeli…
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Fast Forward Birthright Said To Expel 3 For Questions About ‘Wall’
Updated December 24 Fresh from its PR disaster after announcing vague new anti-free speech conditions, Birthright Israel has reportedly thrown three young Jews off their trip for asking about the separation barrier between Israel and the West Bank past which they were driving. In a Facebook post, participant Shira Leah said that she and two…
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