US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice discussed the Middle East peace process and other regional issues with Jewish community leaders. The hour-long meeting May 13 organized by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs also included representatives of the Jewish Federations of North America, UJA-Federation of New York, and the JCRC of New York. JCPA President/CEO Rabbi Steve Gutow presented Rice with a mezuzah in recognition of her support of Israel and advocacy of US values and interests at the United …More

A dozen Jewish organizations sent a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry expressing their concern over the rise of anti-Semitism in Hungary. The May 14 letter commended Kerry for his offices’ recent human rights report that detailed the rise of the xenophobic and anti-Semitic Jobbik party and encouraged Kerry “to keep the issue of intolerance and discrimination squarely on the US-Hungarian bilateral agenda.” The Jobbik party has called for the creation of a list of Jewish public officials …More

US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, honored last week with the Distinguished Public Service Award of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), praised her former Israeli counterpart, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev. “Gabby was a great friend and partner and colleague,” Rice told JNS.org. “I miss her. We had a wonderful working relationship.” Shalev served in the UN ambassador from 2008-10. The current Israeli ambassador to the UN—whose resolutions on the …More

Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, denying that his government has an anti-Semitic bent, said his grandparents were of Sephardic Jewish descent. “My grandparents were Jewish, so many of the Maduros, same as the Moors [Muslims], converted to Catholicism in Venezuela,” Maduro told Apporea, a pro-government media outlet, last week. “The mother of the Minister of Communication and Information Ernesto Villegas is of the same tradition.” During the interview, Maduro rejected allegations he …More

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said reinforcing Israel's edge and bolstering security relationships with neighbors like Egypt were both US priorities. Hagel, speaking Thursday to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy's annual Soref Symposium, described his recent visit to Israel and the region, his first since assuming the defense secretary post in February. "Beyond rocket and missile defense cooperation, DoD has been working for more than a year to increase Israel’s ability to confront and …More

Eating kosher can be difficult for seniors and low income Jews living on a tight budget. Now a new bill backed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Joe Crowley may help make it easier for food pantries to stock kosher fare. Currently, the Department of Agriculture purchases and provides some kosher food for distribution to the nation’s food pantries through its TEFAP program. However, once the food is purchased, there is no way of tracking to make certain that kosher food is reaching the …More

One can only imagine the rage of pro-firearms and freedom-fueled bearded men at the NRA convention last weekend. While most of it was good, old-fashioned “I love guns” convention talk, a few incidents crossed the ever-diminishing ethical line. Keynote speaker Glenn Beck spoke to the crowd of 70,000 people and said that anyone who argues in favor of gun control is ignorant or “living an argument of control.” Specifically, the outspoken radio personality pointed his concern at New York Mayor …More

Nir Barkat has plenty of reason to advocate for Jerusalem. Not only is he local mayor of the city, but he was also raised there. Barkat was born in 1959 and moved with his family to the Israeli capital at a young age. At the age of 18, he joined the Paratroopers Brigade of the IDF, where he served for a total of six years, more than the compulsory time. Barkat was promoted to the rank of Major and received a bachelor’s degree in computer science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He used those …More

Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Giffords, who has become an advocate for stricter gun control after being shot in the head in 2011, was recognized for the courage she has demonstrated in pushing for policy changes aimed at reducing gun violence. The ceremony was held Sunday at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. Earlier this year, Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, founded Americans for …More

Greece’s neo-Nazi political party, the Golden Dawn, posted an article on its website condemning Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras for a planned visit to Washington, DC, next month, during which he will address the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Global Forum. Golden Dawn, which currently holds 18 seats in Greece’s national parliament, maintains that “Zionists” control American and Greek politics. A cartoon accompanied the article, showing Prime Minister Samaras under a bloody …More

The Prime Minister's Office of Israel said it was ready to restart negotiations without preconditions after welcoming the Arab League's Middle East peace plan allowing for agreed-upon land swaps. In a statement issued late Tuesday on behalf of Israeli diplomatic officials, the Prime Minister's Office said Israel “welcomed the support given by the Arab league delegation and the US secretary of state to the diplomatic process.” It also said that Israel was ready to restart negotiations immediately …More

The Anti-Defamation League received a surprise visit from a distinguished guest at its 100th birthday celebration last night—Joe Biden. The US Vice President stopped by to offer congratulations and sing happy birthday, at the celebratory event hosted in Palm Beach, Florida. The event was part of a series of commemorations planned to honor the ADL’s centennial anniversary. Last night’s dinner also included a video address from President Barack Obama, who lauded the group for its efforts to …More