2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer http://www.jspace.com Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bibi-cautions-against-celebration-for-election-of-new-iranian-pres-rowhani-video/14376 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to Irans election results Sunday, cautioning the public from celebrating too soon the ousting of past President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. We are not deluding ourselves when it comes to the results of the Iranian election, Netanyahu said of Irans election of moderate Hassan Rowhani. The international community must not get hung up on its own wishful thinking and become tempted to ease the pressure on Iran. The more the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/house-passes-bill-to-take-necessary-steps-in-defense-of-israel/14374 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The US House of Representatives passed a defense authorization bill with an amendment that would make it US policy to take all necessary steps to ensure Israel is able to remove existential threats, including nuclear facilities in Iran. It is the policy of the United States to take all necessary steps to ensure that Israel possesses and maintains an independent capability to remove existential threats to its security and defend its vital national interests, said the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/polish-court-unable-to-ban-anti-semitic-party/14367 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Polish court said that it could not remove an anti-Semitic party from the party register because prosecutors have not sought such a decision. Polskie Radio on Thursday quoted Maja Smoderek, a spokeswoman for Warsaws district court, as saying that the Together Party of the Slavonic Empire, which registered with the court in March, could not be removed from the list because no prosecutor has lodged a complaint about the party. Since its registration, the party has been increasingly

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/khameini-us-elections-controlled-by-zionists/14363 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 On the eve of the Iranian elections, the countrys religious leader said on his Facebook page that these were freer than those in the United States, which he said were controlled by the Zionist regime. US president is being elected only from two parties while Zionist regime is controlling everything behind the scenes, said a cartoon posted Thursday on the English language Facebook page of Ayatollah Ali Khameini, the countrys supreme leader. The graphic depicts the star of

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jcpa-backs-bill-to-add-kosher-options-to-emergency-food-assistance/14328 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 An amendment under consideration in the US Senate would add kosher food options to emergency food assistance. The amendment, introduced last month by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, earned the endorsement of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the umbrella body for Jewish public policy groups, in a letter sent June 7 to other US senators. The organized Jewish community is committed to ensuring basic human rights for everyone, including the right to eat, the letter said. We must consider the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/anti-morsi-petition-claims-nearly-15-million-signatures/14326 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Organizers of a campaign seeking to remove confidence in Egypts President Mohamed Morsi say they have nearly 15 million signatures for a petition to hold early presidential elections, the Egypt Independent reported. An opposition campaign called Tamarod, which means rebel in Arabic, was launched in early May with the aim of collecting 15 million signatures to outnumber the votes gained by Morsi in last years presidential election. Spokesperson Mahmoud Badr said the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/the-chutzpah-of-hope-harvey-milk-jews-and-equality/14309 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 If Sean Penn wins the Academy Award for best actor for portraying you in a biopic, youre likely not an average politician. (If James Franco plays your boyfriend, well, thats just a bonus feature.) And indeed Harvey Milk was quite different. As the first openly gay man to hold political office in a major American city, he was proud to be different. But although he is famous for being a first, for being a high-profile face of what was a new struggle for more equal rights, Milk comes from a long line

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/former-british-mp-calls-soldier-a-bloody-jew-video/14299 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A controversial former-UK politician is drawing headlines once more, after referring to an IDF soldier as a bloody Jew. Patrick Mercer, a past Conservative Party leader and former member of the British parliament, was caught on camera relaying an encounter he once had when visiting the Jewish state. An 18-year-old girl, wearing a uniform, with her sort of hair in plaits, and crazy jewelry and open-toed sandals, with a rifle up my nose, he said. Who the f*** are you, you know?

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/sen-lautenberg-honored-by-hillel-days-before-his-death/14231 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 JNS.org U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), who died Monday at age 89, had received the Renaissance Award from Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life at a Hillel gala last Thursday in New York City. Lautenberg received the Hillel award in recognition of accomplishments including the law named after him. The Lautenberg Amendment allowed Soviet Jews and other minorities from the former USSR to immigrate to the U.S. It is truly an honor to be recognized by Hillela great organization that

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/peres-belarus-hometown-marks-politician-s-90th-birthday/14220 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Belarus hometown of Shimon Peres marked the Israeli presidents upcoming 90th birthday. Among those on hand for the celebrations Wednesday in Vishnyeva was Peres oldest daughter, Tzvia. She was named for her fathers grandfather, Tzvi Meltzer, who was killed in the town by the Nazis. The events marking the landmark birthday included the opening of a permanent photo exhibit on the life of Peres and the placing of a plaque on the site of his home in Vishnyeva. Also, the town held a memorial

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rome-s-jewish-community-praises-politician-making-aliyah/14160 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rome's Jewish community leaders praised Fiamma Nirenstein, a journalist and former Italian Parliament member, in a sendoff ahead of her move to Israel. The Rome Jewish Community board, along with representatives of other Jewish organizations and the Israeli ambassador to Italy, toasted Nirenstein on Friday at a ceremony held before Shabbat. The Florence native was scheduled to move permanently to Israel over the weekend. Her contribution in the last legislature was decisive, and not to be able to see her

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/lithuanian-fm-breaks-tradition-visits-kotel-in-jerusalem/14158 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Lithuanias foreign minister garnered headlines last week when he broke with tradition and visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Linas Linkevicius made the stop during a diplomatic trip to the Jewish state. Customarily, foreign politicians do not stop in East Jerusalem, as the international community does not recognize Israels annexation of the area following 1967s Six Day War. This is highly unusual and violates our usual code of practice, a diplomat from a European Union

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-includes-israel-palestinian-peace-in-counterterrorism-strategy/14150 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 President Obama said the United States was trying to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in part because it could help reshape attitudes that foster extremism. In a speech about terrorism delivered last week at the National Defense University in Washington, Obama described what he said were a number of underlying grievances that feed extremism. We are working to promote peace between Israelis and Palestiniansbecause it is right, and because such a peace

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/senate-unanimously-approves-tougher-stance-on-iran/14131 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The US Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to urge tighter sanction enforcement on Iran over its continued progress in nuclear proliferation. The resolution calls on President Barack Obama to strengthen the enforcement of already existing sanctions on the Islamic republic, and states that the US should back the Jewish state should Israel have to defend itself from a nuclear assault by Iran. [The U.S. government should] stand with Israel and provide, in accordance with United States law and the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/merkel-receives-european-rabbinical-award/14123 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 German Chancellor Angela Merkel was honored Tuesday by the Conference of European Rabbis, for her commitment to fighting anti-Semitism. In particular, the conference noted Merkels strong record of support for the German Jewish community and her outspoken denunciation of anti-Semitism throughout Europe. The chancellor received the Lord Jakobovitz Prize for European Jewry at the Great Synagogue in Brussels, with a series of ceremonies organized for the event. We must learn to talk to

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/weiner-formally-announces-run-for-mayor-of-new-york-city/14112 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Ex-New York Representative Anthony Weiner, who was forced out of office by scandal, has announced that he is running for mayor of New York City. Look, Ive made some big mistakes and I know Ive let a lot of people down, Weiner, 48, said in a two-minute video announcing his bid that was released early Wednesday morning. But Ive also learned some tough lessons. Im running for mayor because Ive been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/vp-on-jewish-heritage-month-jewish-heritage-is-american-heritage/14092 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Vice President Joe Biden praised Jewish contributions to American culture, while the nation as a whole honors Jewish American Heritage Month this May. The truth is that Jewish heritage, Jewish culture, Jewish values are such an essential part of who we are that its fair to say that Jewish heritage is American heritage, Biden said. The Jewish people have contributed greatly to America, he added, saying, No group has had such an outsized influence per capita. Biden

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/los-angeles-elects-first-jewish-mayor/14087 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Eric Garcetti, a veteran city councilman, was elected the first Jewish mayor of Los Angeles. Garcetti, 42, defeated City Controller Wendy Greuel, 54 percent to 46 percent, with all precincts reporting. Greuel conceded in the early Wednesday morning. Thank you Los Angelesthe hard work begins but I am honored to lead this city for the next four years. Lets make this a great city again, Garcetti tweeted when his victory became apparent. Garcetti, who has been a councilman since his

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/residents-home-front-minister-oppose-new-power-plant-in-kiryat-malachi/14084 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 On Sunday, residents in Kiryat Malachi staged a protest demanding a planned power plant in their community be stopped. Protestors insist the plant, which has been approved for construction by the Ministerial Committee on Interior Affairs, will pose a serious risk to the environment and the surrounding communities if a missile strikes the site or the plant malfunctions. Home Front Minister and former Environment Protection Minister Gilad Erdan has also joined in on the efforts to stop the plant, which he believes

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/kerry-taps-former-njdc-head-for-anti-semitism-post/14069 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Ira Forman, who led President Obamas reelection campaign in the Jewish community, was appointed as the State Departments envoy to combat anti-Semitism. The State Department announced the appointment on Mondaythe same day it released its 2012 report on religious freedom that recorded a continued global increase in anti-Semitism. Secretary of State John Kerry tapped Forman to replace Hannah Rosenthal, who left last year to direct the Milwaukee Jewish federation. Kerrys

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/lapid-jerusalem-will-remain-capital-of-israel/14066 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Yair Lapid opened up about speculation that his political acumen is fading in a sit down with the New York Times. Lapid, the head of Israels new Yesh Atid party, shocked the international world last January when his party became the second largest in the Knesset. Since that time, however, Lapid has struggled under his role as finance minister, in particular with regards to an austerity budget that increased taxes and made certain subsidy cuts. Im going to be bashed now, and be the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/european-nations-urged-to-boycott-un-disarmament-body-chaired-by-iran/14058 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Dutch group monitoring rights in Iran urged the Netherlands and other European nations to join the United States and Canada in boycotting a UN forum on disarmament that will be chaired by Tehran. Irans chairmanship of the UN Conference on Disarmament comes at the expense of the United Nations credibility as a body meant to safeguard global safety, the Hague-based Iran Comite wrote to Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans on Thursday. Hillel Neuer of the Geneva-based nonprofit UN

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/anthony-weiner-caught-filming-mayoral-campaign-ads/14053 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Amid ongoing rumors that former US Congressman Anthony Weiner hopes to return to politics as New York Citys mayor, a camera crew was spotted filming him and his wife on the stoop of his childhood home in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The group quickly dispersed when reporters approached, but onlookers believe them to to be making a campaign ad. The speculation he will run for mayor has been further fueled after a public apology-themed interview to the New York Times last month asking for a second

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-leaders-discuss-mideast-issues-with-susan-rice/14044 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 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

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-groups-urge-kerry-to-fight-anti-semitism-in-hungary/14040 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 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

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ambassador-susan-rice-honored-by-ajc-calls-former-israeli-counterpart-great-friend/14023 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 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 UNwhose resolutions on the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/venezuelan-president-my-grandparents-were-jewish/14011 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 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

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hagel-us-strategy-is-to-reinforce-israel-arab-allies/13964 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 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 Israels ability to confront and

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/proposed-us-bill-will-help-kosher-food-reach-needy-jews/13953 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 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 nations 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

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/glenn-beck-denies-comparing-michael-bloomberg-to-nazi-regime-video/13941 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=89924 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

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/mayor-nir-barkat-jerusalem-will-succeed/13921 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 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 bachelors degree in computer science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He used those

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/giffords-receives-jfk-award-in-boston/13907 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 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

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/greece-s-golden-dawn-neo-nazi-party-blasts-prime-minister-s-planned-ajc-speech/13872 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Greeces 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 Committees (AJC) Global Forum. Golden Dawn, which currently holds 18 seats in Greeces national parliament, maintains that Zionists control American and Greek politics. A cartoon accompanied the article, showing Prime Minister Samaras under a bloody

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-s-prime-minister-s-office-welcomes-arab-league-peace-plan/13851 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 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

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/biden-obama-wish-adl-congrats-on-100th-anniversary-video/13850 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The Anti-Defamation League received a surprise visit from a distinguished guest at its 100th birthday celebration last nightJoe 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 ADLs centennial anniversary. Last nights dinner also included a video address from President Barack Obama, who lauded the group for its efforts to

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/alan-dershowitz-and-caroline-glick-clash-on-two-state-solution/13843 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Maxine Dovere, JNS.org Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz and Jerusalem Post columnist and senior contributing editor Caroline Glick, following their sharp disagreement on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during a panel discussion at Sundays second annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York City, continued their debate in interviews with JNS.org. Dershowitz had presented the audience with a plan under which peace negotiations would restart if Israel halted

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/mark-zuckerberg-jumps-into-immigration-reform-with-lobbying-group/13841 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Mark Zuckerberg is taking on the subject of immigration reform, and hes drawing on top names from Silicon Valley to make his case. The Facebook mogul announced the creation of FWD.us this month in a Washington Post op-ed, a lobbying group aimed at making it easier for immigration opportunities to positively affect the business world. We will work with members of Congress from both parties, the administration and state and local officials, Zuckerberg wrote in his op-ed. We will use

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/tribeca-film-festival-review-of-herblock-the-black-and-the-white/13799 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But that won't stop the interviewees of "Herblock: The Black and The White," playing at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this weekend, from waxing rapturous on political comic Herbert Block. The Washington Post cartoonist, who signed all his work with the moniker Herblock on the suggestion of his father, enjoyed a career spanning 13 presidents and earning three Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His cartoons skewered Joe McCarthy long before

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rep-brings-anti-semitism-to-oklahoma-state-house-oops-video/13726 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Anti-Semitism in politics is far from funny. But watching a state representative casually overlook his derogatory comment while the other politicians respond in horrified shock is nothing short of pure entertainment. Dennis Johnson is a representative to the Oklahoma State House and sits on six house committees, including the Judiciary and General Government committees, but has continued to prove that political credentials do not always equal high intelligence. During an argument for Oklahomas SB550 act,

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/boston-marathon-attack-victims-honored-at-service-attended-by-obama-and-jewish-christian-muslim-leaders/13711 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 President Barack Obama, along with Massachusettss top political leaders and Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders, attended an interfaith service on Thursday at Bostons Cathedral of the Holy Cross to honor the victims of Mondays Boston Marathon terror attack. This is Boston, a city with courage, compassion and strength that knows no bounds, Obama said during a five-minute speech that also included reflections on the lives of 8-year-old Martin Richard, 29-year-old

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/turkey-nixes-nato-group-meeting-with-israel/13679 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Turkey declined to agree to a meeting of NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue group including Israel and six Arab countries. Egypt also declined to convene the group for the first time in five years, the Turkish Hurriyet Daily News reported. The Mediterranean Dialogue, founded in 2004, is intended to contribute to regional security. Along with Israel and Egypt, the other participating countries are Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Algeria and Jordan. Turkey declined the meeting despite Israel's recent apology for the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hezbollah-must-be-called-terror-organization-by-eu-says-canadian-foreign-affairs-minister/13673 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird is calling on the 27-member European Union to join Canada in recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Hezbollah killed over 300 soldiers and civilians with the 1983 suicide bombings of the US and French barracks in Beirut. In 1985, it hijacked Trans World Airlines Flight 847, killing a US serviceman and dumping his body on the tarmac, and then holding the other passengers hostage for two weeks. In 2011, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-israel-validates-herzl-s-zionist-vision/13668 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 US President Barack Obama said Israel's independence validated the vision of Zionism's founder, Theodor Herzl. In his message Tuesday, Obama wished Israelis a "joyous" Independence Day and recalled his visit to the Jewish State last month, when he lay a wreath at Herzl's grave in Jerusalem. "There, I was honored to pay tribute to Theodor Herzl, who did so much to realize the dream of an independent Israel, to the presidents and prime ministers who guided her, and to those in uniform who have laid down their

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/shapiro-praises-us-israeli-cooperation-on-environmental-energy-issues-on-israel-s-65th/13663 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 In honor of Israels 65th Birthday, United States Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro issued a statement congratulating the Jewish State on accomplishments made since independence and promoting cooperation between Israel and the United States on energy and environmental issues. On the occasion of Independence Day, the statement read, I want to reaffirm President Obamas message. The future of USIsrael relations is as bright today as it has ever been, and I am confident that

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/pa-prime-minister-salam-fayyad-resigns/13608 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad reportedly gave his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas. The resignation was tendered Wednesday, while Abbas was in Jordan, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources. The article, published Thursday, said it was unclear whether Abbas would accept Fayyad's resignation. A spokeswoman in Fayyad's office declined to comment on the resignation reports. The resignation comes following major disagreements over government policy in the PA and rumors that Abbas

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/disgraced-ex-congressman-weiner-considering-ny-mayoral-run/13601 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Ex-New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, who was forced out of office by a scandal, is considering a run for New York City mayor. Weiner, 48, and his wife, Huma Abedin, submitted to an extensive profile in this weekend's New York Times Magazine in part because Weiner is testing the waters for a possible run in this year's race. The veteran Democratic lawmaker resigned from Congress in June 2011 after lying about tweeting an illicit photo of himself to a 21-year-old supporter. According to the newspaper, Weiner has

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jimmy-carter-to-be-honored-by-yeshiva-university-s-law-school-amid-alumni-opposition/13565 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Alumni and pro-Israel supporters of Yeshiva Universitys Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law have launched a campaign to prevent to the university from awarding former President Jimmy Carter with the schools International Advocate for Peace Award. The award is being presented by the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution. In reaction to the award, a group of leading alumni and pro-Israel supporters calling itself The Coalition of Concerned Cardozo Alumni has established a

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-leaders-urge-netanyahu-to-work-with-obama-on-peace/13527 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 More than 100 US Jewish leaders urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make clear "Israels readiness to make painful territorial sacrifices for the sake of peace." "We believe that this is a compelling moment for you and your new government to respond to President Obamas call for peace by taking concrete confidence-building steps designed to demonstrate Israels commitment to a two-states for two peoples solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict," said the letter

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/abbas-and-jordan-s-abdullah-sign-agreement-to-defend-jerusalem/13506 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordanian King Abdullah II signed an agreement to coordinate efforts to defend Jerusalem and its holy sites. The agreement was signed Sunday in Amman following talks between the two leaders. Under the agreement, Jordan and the PA will cooperate "on the protection and care of al-Aksa mosque and all the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem," the Palestinian Wafa news organization reported. The agreement also is designed to stop Israeli attempts to

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/tunisia-rejects-special-parliament-bloc-for-jews/13448 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Tunisian government committee rejected a proposal to allocate a bloc of seats in parliament to Jews. The proposal, which had been opposed by Tunisia's Jewish leadership, was rejected by the National Constituent Assembly's committee on legislative and executive powers on the grounds that it would create unnecessary divisions among Tunisians, committee member Walid Bannani told Tunisia Live. This suggestion has no aim, and this is a civil country where the rights and duties of each citizen are determined

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/03-27-13-round-up-pm-edition-video/13434 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=89924 The kidnapped Israeli opens up about his four-day long captivity under Bedouins in the Sinai. [Times of Israel] Rare photos and video from the Nazis first concentration camp, Dachau, have been released. [Times of Israel] Historical Passover seder antiques cost up to $35,000. [Algemeiner] Former British foreign secretary, David Miliband, announced he is leaving the British political world to take a job in New York as the head of the International Rescue Committee. [Forward] Four rabbis describe their

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/03-27-13-round-up-am-edition/13419 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=89924 Geoff Schwartz, who is one of the nine Jewish players in the NFL, discusses how he celebrates his religion amid his non-Jewish peers. [Larry Brown Sports] Jewish New Yorkers were angered at the MTAs plan to shut down select train service during Passover, as they rely on the transportation to get home from their Seders. [NY Post] Former members of the anti-Semitic Westboro Baptist Church apologize to the Jewish community. [Politix] Beyond Bubbie is the largest of several projects that are

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/erdogan-israel-must-act-on-agreement-before-relations-normalized/13405 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said normalization of relations with Israel will not take place until Israel fulfills its part of the agreement. Turkey and Israel agreed to normalize ties after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for Israel's 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara ship as it attempted to break a maritime blockade of Gaza. In the phone call, Netanyahu agreed to compensate the families of nine Turks killed in the ensuing violence when Israeli naval commandos boarded the ship. Erdogan

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/david-trimble-nobel-laureate-and-uk-lords-member-admonishes-un-israel-report-video/13375 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Nobel Peace Laureate and British House of Lords member David Trimble spoke on behalf of Swiss human rights group UN Watch at a UN Human Rights Council debate Monday in response to the most recent Human Rights Council report on Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria. I am a firm believer in a two-state solution, which will require difficult compromises, he said. But he added, by urging the removal of all settlers living beyond the green line, the report is inconsistent with Security Council

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/greek-prime-minister-in-shul-visit-vows-crackdown-on-neo-nazis/13336 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras vowed to crack down on neo-Nazi groups. Samaras was speaking Sunday at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the first deportations of Thessaloniki's Jews to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. The Greek government will enact legislation that will be "completely intolerant to violence and racism," Samaras said at the city's Monastiriotes Synagogue in what was said to be the first-ever visit by a sitting prime minister to a synagogue in Greece. Noting that with neo-Nazi

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/new-defense-minister-moshe-ya-alon-takes-office/13331 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Moshe (Bugi) Ya'alon assumed his new role as Defense Minister in a ceremony held today to mark the handover from outgoing Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz attended the event, as well as the Defense Ministry's Department Heads and the General Staff of the IDF. Outgoing Defense Minister Barak, who has held the position for the past six years, congratulated Minister Ya'alon on his appointment and told him that he is receiving a defense system which is in good hands, and

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/33rd-government-sworn-in-a-ministerial-round-up/13320 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israels 33rd government was sworn in today, heralding in a more central governing bloc and introducing new titles to politicians both freshman and veteran. Election golden boys Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett are two newcomers set to hold heavy influence. As heads of the two largest parties after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus, there was plenty of speculation over what ministerial positions the pair would receive. After days of negotiations, it was agreed Lapid will serve as finance minister

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/brooklyn-angry-over-spider-man-passover-filming-video/13297 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Spider-Man is set to swing by Brooklyn, and the local Jewish community is none too pleased about it. The problem centers on the exact time the web slinger plans to drop in. Organizers for a sequel to the blockbuster Amazing Spider-Man want to shoot scenes in the heavily Jewish neighborhood over the Passover holiday. We ask that you not issue a permit for any of the High Holy Days, the local community board wrote to the Mayors Office of Media and Entertainment, after

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/coalition-formed-bibi-finally-seals-the-deal/13291 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Six weeks after Israeli national elections and with just a day to spare before the deadline, Benjamin Netanyahu has finally secured himself a coalition. Bibis Likud-Beiteinu party will join with Yesh Atid, Jewish Home and Hatnua to make a 68-seat coalition, ensuring Netanyahu a majority rule in the Knesset and allowing him to retain his premiership. Hatnua joined the prime ministers coalition early on, bringing just six seats to the table, making it ever more pressing that Netanyahu ink a deal with

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-in-interview-israel-a-fundamental-right-for-the-jewish-people/13281 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 President Barack Obama was interviewed by Israels Channel 2 news network in the days leading up to his trek to the Jewish state next week. Channel 2 aired the interview today, for a sit down covering topics like the two state solution and how the US plans to disengage a potentially nuclear Iran. We think that it would take over a year or so for Iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon, but obviously we dont want to cut it too close, the president said. So when I am consulting

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bibi-bids-goodbye-to-ehud-barak-at-farewell-event/13279 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Ehud Barak officially concluded his tenure as Israels defense minister, with a farewell ceremony last night at Bar-Ilan University. Barak saw Israel through some critical times during his 2,000-plus days at the post, including Gaza operations Cast Lead and Pillar of Defense. But Baraks political career stretches far back. He served as prime minister from 1999 to 2001, an achievement among a handful of government positions including minister of foreign affairs and IDF chief of staff. I

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/greek-jews-call-for-minister-to-resign-over-pro-nazi-writings/13274 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The Greek Jewish community is calling for the resignation of a government adviser with a history of Nazi sympathizing. Historian Yiannis Kotoulas, an Interior Ministry adviser, was the subject of headlines Tuesday when a Greek newspaper uncovered comments from the historians book The Rise of the Third Reich, which called the Nazi regime a great revolution. Kotoulas also wrote in a magazine article that concentration camps were a normal and established practice of all

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-will-stick-to-kosher-for-passover-diet-during-his-stay-at-king-david-hotel/13271 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 With workers at Jerusalems King David Hotel preparing for Passover, including clearing out the entire hotel and its kitchen from any grain and legumes in accordance with the holidays tradition, US President Barack Obama will stick to a kosher-for-Passover diet during his stay there when he visits the Middle East next week. Were used to hosting heads of state and also American presidents, but this situation is very special for us because its so close to Pesach. For us it will be

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/grandson-of-holocaust-survivors-again-running-for-venezuelan-presidency/13227 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Henrique Capriles Radonski, the non-Jewish grandson of Holocaust survivors, said he will once more run for Venezuelas presidency in the election to succeed the late Hugo Chavez. Capriles, who identifies as a Catholic, announced his candidacy on Sunday. He will run against Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's chosen successor and the acting president, in the April 14 elections. Last October, Capriles won 44 percent of the vote but lost to Chavez by 11 percentage points. Over the weekend, Capriles challenged the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/british-labor-leader-miliband-to-oppose-israel-boycott/13208 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Ed Miliband, the leader of Britains Labour Party, has pledged to oppose boycotts of Israel and to protect Jewish customs, including circumcision and ritual slaughter. Speaking Thursday at an event organized by Britain's main Jewish umbrella group, the leader of the British opposition, who is Jewish, warned of the need to be ever-vigilant against anti-Semitism. The Jewish Chronicle reported that the crowd numbered around 300. Asked whether he would work to ensure religious slaughter and

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/giffords-will-receive-jfk-profile-in-courage-award/13205 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Giffords, who survived a 2011 shooting that killed six people, will be recognized for the political, personal, and physical courage she has demonstrated in her fearless public advocacy for policy reforms aimed at reducing gun violence. The award is presented each year by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Caroline Kennedy, JFK's daughter, will present Giffords with the award on May

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/after-35-years-sen-carl-levin-won-t-seek-reelection/13203 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) made headlines yesterday in announcing he would not seek reelection at the end of his current term. The veteran politician has held his seat since 1979, and served in several key Congress committees, including a current seat as chairman on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He also leads the Senates Armed Services Committee and has been influential in setting record levels of defense assistance for Israel. The Jewish senator said yesterday he would use his last

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-and-france-talk-iran-peace-with-palestine/13198 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=89924 A nuclear-armed Iran is a threat not only to Israel, but to the western world, French President Francois Hollande stated at a press conference in Paris today. Alongside Hollande was Israeli President Shimon Peres, who encouraged Hollandes demand for the sanctions on Irans nuclear program to be beefed up. As Iran continues to deny inquiries by Western countries regarding their suspected building of atomic weapons, Peres said there may not be another way to resolve the situation

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/remembering-the-life-and-legacy-of-menachem-begin/13190 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Menachem Begins political accomplishments read like a tribute: the sixth prime minister of Israel, creator of the Likud party, leader of the Zionist group Igrun, signer of the 1979 peace treaty with Egypt, Nobel Peace Prize winner. Begin was born August 16, 1913, in the then Russian Empire. As a child he studied the Zionist movement, joining the Zionist Socialist youth movement at the age of 12. He earned a law degree from the University of Warsaw, which would serve him well in his later career as a

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/egyptian-stripped-of-us-award-refuses-apology-to-zionist-lobby/13187 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 An Egyptian woman whose state department award was revoked over a slew of anti-Semitic tweets has now written that she refuses to apologize to the Zionist lobby in America. Yesterday, the White House announced it would not honor Samira Ibrahim in a ceremony this afternoon as was previously planned. Ibrahim was meant to receive the state departments Women of Courage Award along with nine others, for her advocacy after submission to virginity testing in 2011. Opponents spoke out

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/officials-leave-iaea-talks-after-iran-cites-israeli-genocide/13169 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 US, Canadian and Australian officials walked out of a meeting of United Nations nuclear watchdog agency when the Iranian envoy accused Israel of genocide. Joseph Macmanus, the US ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, stormed out of the meeting in Vienna on Wednesday after Ali Asghar Soltaneh made the accusation, as did Canadian and Australian officials, according to a Reuters report. Macmanus earlier had accused Iran of "deception, defiance and delay" in its dealing with the agency. The meeting

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/yesh-atid-jewish-home-kadima-join-knesset-bloc/13167 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Yesh Atid and Jewish Home have joined a bloc alliance with Kadima, weeks after Israels January 22 elections. Yesh Atid and Jewish Home are two highly sought parties by Benjamin Netanyahu, who has just one week left to create a coalition and retain his premiership following the grant of an extension last week. Yesh Atid, which has 19 seats, and Jewish Home, which has 12, proved an unlikely alliance in the days following the election. Yesh Atid promotes itself as a moderate, left of center party, a jump

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-officials-continue-to-press-europe-on-hezbollah/13161 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 US government officials have called on Europe to list Hezbollah as a terrorist group. "For too long Hezbollah has tried to pose as nothing more than a political and social welfare group while plotting against innocents in Eastern Europe, from Eastern Europe to East Africa, from Southeast Asia to South America," Vice President Joe Biden said at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual conference on Monday. "We know what Israel knows: Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. Period," Biden said. "And

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-ambassador-on-colbert-obama-s-trip-ashanda-to-stephen-video/13159 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Weve all heard the news that Israels ambassador to the US Michael Oren is stepping down from the post, yes? So whats one of his last acts out the door? Stopping by The Colbert Report, of course. Oren was a guest on the Comedy Central show last night, taking on a slew of hard-hitting queries from Stephen Colbert himself. What about Iran, when do you guys start bombing? Colbert asked at one point. The pair covered everything from Hagel to nuclear weapons, with the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hugo-chavez-venezuelan-president-dead-at-58/13139 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58. The news came as a general shock to the international community. Chavez, who ruled the South American nation for 14 years, was quietly suffering from cancer for two years. Last summer, the leader announced doctors had pronounced him "cancer free." Chavez had a tumultuous relationship with the Jewish community in Venezuela and abroad. The Simon Wiesenthal Center and World Jewish Congress frequently pointed out anti-Semitic incidents during

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/congress-introduces-bill-to-make-israel-major-strategic-ally/13131 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Republican and a Democrat in the US House of Representatives introduced legislation that would grant Israel the unique designation of "major strategic ally." The bill, introduced Monday by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Ted Deutch, was timed for the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference. The conference is closing with a lobby day today, which is expected to be attended by 13,000 activists. The "major strategic ally" bill codifies a number of existing facets of the US-Israel

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/at-aipac-netanyahu-and-biden-offer-their-takes-on-strategic-timetable-for-iran-video/13128 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jacob Kamaras, JNS.org US Vice President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday offered their takes on the strategic timetable for the Iranian nuclear threat, with Biden saying there remains time and space for diplomacy to work and Netanyahu dismissing diplomacy because Iran is running out the clock. Netanyahu told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) via a live satellite message that diplomacy has not worked for Iran,

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/barak-to-be-first-foreign-defense-chief-to-meet-with-hagel/13108 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israel's Ehud Barak will be the first foreign defense minister to meet with new US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. Barak and Hagel will meet Tuesday at the Pentagon, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed US official. The meeting will take place following Barak's speech on the last day of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual policy conference in Washington. The defense chiefs, who have known each other for more than a decade, will discuss the Iranian threat, according to Reuters. They are also

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/lawmakers-remember-senator-inouye-at-iron-dome-tribute-luncheon/13089 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A bipartisan array of US lawmakers remembered the late Sen. Daniel Inouye at an Iron Dome Tribute Luncheon, where they pledged continued support of Israel's anti-missile defense system. On Wednesday, 10 senators and at least seven members of the US House of Representatives gave tribute speeches for Inouye, a Hawaii Democrat who championed funding for Israel through his decades in the Senate. Inouye died in December. Among those addressing the event in the Russell Senate Building were Sen. Jim Inhofe, the ranking

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-window-of-opportunity-in-june-for-iran-strike/13084 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 President Barack Obama believes a window of opportunity for a military strike on Iran will open in June, an Israeli TV report alleged. The segment, which aired on Channel 10 Monday evening, reported that Obama would communicate this belief to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his March visit to Israel. Should diplomatic efforts and sanctions fail, Obama will allegedly tell Netanyahu to sit tight and let Washington take the lead on Iran. Citing unnamed officials, the segment

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jack-lew-confirmed-as-secretary-of-treasury/13080 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The US Senate confirmed Jacob Lew as Secretary of the Treasury Wednesday, affirming President Barack Obamas nomination. The move makes Lew the highest-ranking Orthodox Jew in US history. In a statement issued after the vote, Obama said, "At this critical time for our economy and our country, there is no one more qualified for this position than Jack... His reputation as a master of fiscal issues who can work with leaders on both sides of the aisle has already helped him succeed in some of the toughest jobs

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/biden-to-headline-aipac-conference/13052 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 US Vice President Joe Biden will be headlining this years Policy Conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPACs annual conference, expected to draw 13,000 participants this year, is considered among the top events in the pro-Israel community. Biden will speak on the morning of March 4, White House and AIPAC officials confirmed. His speech comes ahead of President Obama's visit to Israel later in the month, and at a time of renewed concerns about Iran's suspected nuclear weapons

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/02-26-13-round-up-pm-edition/13048 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 With the tenure of two serving chief rabbis rapidly coming to a close, candidates vie for primacy before the June election. [Jerusalem Post] Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett denounced the corruption in his party that took place during last years primary elections. [Times of Israel] Israel has repatriated hundreds of Sudanese refugees in recent months. [ABC News] A Pennsylvania prison has recorded increasing numbers of "Jewish" prisoners seeking kosher food. Many believe these inmates are not actually

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-vetoes-barak-s-offer-to-apologize-to-turkey/13044 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly rejected Defense Minister Ehud Baraks offer to write an apology to his Turkish counterpart for possible operational errors during the IDF raid of Mavi Marmara in May 2010. Relations between Turkey and Israel have been strained since the incident, which resulted in the death of nine activists. Israeli daily Haaretz, citing unnamed Foreign Ministry sources, reported Sunday that Netanyahu vetoed Barak, who has repeatedly advocated an

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/house-subcommittee-sets-hearing-on-worsening-anti-semitism/13011 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The chairman of the House subcommittee on human rights convened a hearing on anti-Semitism, saying it was worsening, especially in Europe. The hearing, called by US Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), will take place Wednesday. "It is getting demonstrably worse all over the world, but especially Europe," Smith, who also co-chairs the US Helsinki Commission, the congressional body monitoring human rights, told JTA. "The Middle East is a cauldron of anti-Semitic hate, but much of that hatred is spilling out through the

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/all-female-jewish-democrats-in-senate-house-join-njdc-women-s-initiative/12978 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 All of the Jewish women representing the Democratic party in the US Senate and Congress have chosen to become Honorary Co-Chairs of the National Jewish Democratic Councils (NJDC) new Womens Leadership Network (WLN). Former US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who was shot in Tucson, Ariz., in 2011 and later left her post to recover from her injury, has also signed on for the role. The initiative is an opportunity for us to stand up as women, as Jews, and as Democrats for the priorities we

2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:50-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rubio-to-peres-of-course-jerusalem-is-your-capital-video/12975 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Senator Marco Rubio is currently in Israel, drawing headlines after referring to Jerusalem as the Jewish states capital. In a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Rubio was quoted as saying that Jerusalem is of course the capital of your country. US politicians typically shy away from calling Jerusalem the nations capital, as Palestinians also claim sovereignty over the city. President Obama drew similar attention in 2008 after similarly referring to Jerusalem as the Israeli

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/02-20-13-round-up-pm-edition/12970 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=89924 York County Prison has begun to question inmates who pretend to have Jewish affiliation to obtain better tasting food. [York Daily Record] An anti-Semitic cardinal is currently being considered to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. [Jewish Press] A Jewish organization in Hungary has initiated a ban on naming public streets after allies of Hitler. [Israel National News] Senator Chuck Schumer supports Chuck Hagels plans for pro-Israel lobby in Washington. [Capital NY] The IDF investigates ways to boost the number

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ariel-mayor-ron-nachman-to-receive-posthumous-israel-prize/12959 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Ron Nachman, the mayor of Ariel who died following a long battle with cancer, will be awarded a special Israel Prize. Nachman will receive the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement and Exceptional Contribution to the Nation along with Israeli music expert Eliyahu Hacohen. The prizes, which will be awarded on Israel Independence Day, were announced Sunday by Israeli Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar. Nachman, Ariel's only mayor, served in the position for nearly 30 years. He died in January. In 1978, Nachman

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/kerry-bypasses-israel-on-current-trip-will-accompany-obama-on-march-visit/12958 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Secretary of State John Kerry will travel the Middle East on one of his first diplomatic tours in his new post, but Israel wont be on the schedule. The news came yesterday as Kerrys itinerary was announced. The trip is set to commence February 24 and will include stops in Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. In announcing the trip, the state department indicated travel to Israel at this time was not ideal, as Benjamin Netanyahu is still

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/tony-kushner-takes-the-tea-party-to-task-video/12950 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Tony Kushner, never one to shy away from his own opinions, has a few more to share about modern-day Republicans. On The Charlie Rose Show last week, the Lincoln screenwriter made a strong push to cement his liberal political views, perhaps in a bid to win favor with certain Hollywood A-listers as the Academy Awards come calling next week. On second thought, Kushner did a bit more than cement his views, blasting the Tea Party, George W. Bush, and conservatives in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/breaking-news-livni-first-to-join-netanyahu-s-coalition/12947 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Tzipi Livnis centrist Hatnua party has joined a coalition with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first party to do so in the weeks following the January 22 election. The announcement came Tuesday after late morning discussions, the first sign Netanyahu may be on his way to forming a broader government. Livni and I need to put aside disagreements in order to address the problems, Netanyahu said today, indicating Livni would take the lead on discussions with the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-to-receive-israel-s-presidential-medal-of-distinction/12944 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 President Barack Obama is set to receive Israels Presidential Medal of Distinction, the first time a sitting US leader has been given the honor. Israeli President Shimon Peres office announced the news yesterday, indicating Obama would receive the honorone of the most prestigious in the Jewish stateupon his visit next month. "President Obama has made a unique and meaningful contribution to strengthening the state of Israel and the security of its people," Peres office said in a

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/sen-marco-rubio-to-visit-israel/12940 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Senator Marco Rubio announced plans to visit the Jewish state, just days after facing criticism from Jewish Democrats for failing to mention Israel in his State of the Union response. The Florida Republican is already in Jordan for a diplomatic trip, and will land in Israel in two days. "America's friendship with Israel is a truly special one, and we must continue to do all we can to support this beacon of democracy, religious freedom and free enterprise in the heart of an unstable region," Rubio said Saturday,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-s-israel-trip-to-get-own-logo/12936 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 President Obamas impending trip to Israel is set to get its own logo, and the citizens of Israel get the deciding vote on aesthetics. Benjamin Netanyahus office has released a trio of choices for Israelis to choose from, posting the images via Facebook. The title of the campaign, Operation Unbreakable Alliance, is meant to reinforce the USs relationship with the Jewish state while highlighting the nations social media savvy. With the logos we want to show that

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/02-15-13-round-up-pm-edition/12926 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The heads of Argentina's AMIA and DAIA Jewish umbrella organizations have rejected the memorandum of understanding signed by Iran and Argentina about the 1994 bombing. [MercoPress] Jewish residents of Brazil are fleeing to a nearby resort town so as not to expose their children to the immodest sites of Carnival. [Ynet] Bulgaria today deported a delegation Hamas, which it had earlier claimed no knowledge of. [The Independent] The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI marks the end of a line of popes intensely

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-s-first-knesset-how-parliamentary-history-was-made/12892 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The Knesset, Israels main body of parliament, is a relatively young institution as far as government agencies go. Convened for the first time on February 14, 1949, those first members of the Knesset were shaping a new country and defining what it would mean to be a state governed by the Jewish people, for the Jewish people. As Israels first president Chaim Weizmann said on that historic day, the aim of Israel would be to gather in the exiles from all parts of the world. The body took

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/sara-netanyahu-and-michelle-obama-a-shared-fashion-destiny/12884 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 When President Barack Obama goes to Israel in March to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, theyll claim to share common interests and goals. And theyll certainly be right especially if the discussion centers on controversies over their respective wives senses of fashion. Sara Netanyahu caused a bit of a media firestorm last week when she appeared at the official opening of the newly elected Knesset wearing a form-fitting, see-through lace black dress a little too

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-stands-steadfast-with-israel-in-state-of-the-union/12873 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 President Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to Israel in last nights State of the Union, indicating the US would work to prevent Irans acquiring a nuclear weapon. The leaders of Iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution, because a coalition stands united in demanding that they meet their obligations, and we will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon, Obama said in the address. "And we will stand steadfast with Israel in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/iran-may-be-trying-to-buy-more-diplomatic-time/12872 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 According to diplomats from the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has resumed converting small amounts of enriched uranium into nuclear fuel, which may signal that the Muslim theocracy is trying to buy more time for diplomacy. Iran made a similar maneuver last year by converting around 100 kg of its 20 percent enriched uranium to fuel. Last week, experts at a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) conference on Iran stated that at the current

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/tensions-grow-between-lieberman-and-lapid/12848 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Tensions are growing between controversial Yisrael-Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman and the newly empowered Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid. According to Israeli television station Channel 10, Lapid has expressed serious interest in assuming the Foreign Ministry portfolio, stating that he feels unqualified for the other two offered to him, defense and finance. I am not appropriate for the finance portfolio, so I will not take it For the same reason, I wont take the Defense Ministry, he

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/spielberg-urged-to-correct-error-in-lincoln/12832 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 US Congressman Joe Courtney asked director Steven Spielberg to correct what he perceives to be an error about the state of Connecticut in his new film "Lincoln." The Democrat watched the Oscar-nominated biopic about President Abraham Lincoln at the beginning of the month and was shocked to see a scene in which two Connecticut representatives reject the 13th Amendment. Courtney has urged Spielberg to correct the mistake, insisting that records from the House of Representatives will show how all four of his

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-says-syria-iran-and-peace-process-on-obama-agenda-in-israel/12831 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama will focus on Iran, Syria and advancing the peace process when Obama visits Israel. Netanyahu at the beginning of the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday said he and Obama had "discussed the visit" and agreed on the subjects on which they will focus during their talks: Iran's attempt to arm itself with nuclear weapons; the unstable situation in Syria and its consequences for the security of the region; and efforts to advance the peace process between

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-swears-in-19th-knesset/12761 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israel swore in its 19th Knesset today, heralding in a new government that is at once similar and unique from the last one. Many familiar faces make up the incoming 120-seat Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was officially tasked by President Shimon Peres to form a government this week, and Bibi has promised to form a broad coalition. Meanwhile, the incoming Knesset boasts more new MKs than ever before: 48. This Knesset also includes a record number of female members27as well as more

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-parties-begin-discussing-coalition-preferences/12747 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to form the next governments coalition, but that has not stopped some political parties from stating their positions. Shas leader Eli Yashai has said that he and his ultra-Orthodox Sephardic party would rather be in the opposition than part of a coalition that includes Yair Lapid and the Yesh Atid Party. Shas is also in negotiations with United Torah Judaism to create a major ultra-Orthodox bloc that would include 18 seats in the Knesset. Yishai criticized

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/peres-writes-heartfelt-parting-letter-to-hillary-clinton/12725 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Shimon Peres reached out to outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week, writing in a letter praising Clinton's "distinctive grace, wisdom and dedication." "It is with bitter regret that I write this parting letter," the Israeli president began the note. "I know that the people of Israel join me in thanking you for your unflagging friendship and support, and for significantly contributing to strengthening the special ties of friendship and cooperation between Israel and the United States." Peres,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/in-hearings-chuck-hagel-expands-on-jewish-lobby-apology/12722 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 In his Senate confirmation hearings, defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel expanded on his apology for using the term "Jewish lobby" and said it also was wrong to suggest pro-Israel groups "intimidate" Congress into doing "dumb things." Hagel, the former Republican senator from Nebraska nominated by President Obama to become defense secretary, faced an array of tough questions on Thursday from members of both parties on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Two members, Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Lindsey

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/idaho-lawmaker-invokes-holocaust-in-describing-health-insurance-exchanges/12719 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 An Idaho state senator compared insurance companies cooperating with Gov. Butch Otter's proposed health insurance exchange to Jews boarding trains to concentration camps. Sheryl Nuxoll made the statement in a message sent to 120 email addresses and posted on Twitter, the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., reported. Much like the Jews boarding the trains to concentration camps, private insurers are used by the feds to put the system in place because the federal government has no way to set

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/lapid-to-time-i-came-here-to-live-in-a-jewish-state/12718 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Yair Lapid, head of the new 19-seat strong Yesh Atid party in Israel, recently spoke with TIME magazine to discuss the two-state solution, religious politics, and his meteoric ascent into government. Lapid, who worked previously as a popular television journalist, told TIME that he sees a way forward in the Palestinian crisis, and he thinks Israel is primed to get there. "Israelis convinced themselves that there is no use in talking to the Palestinians because theyre not to be trusted," he said. "I think

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ed-koch-past-ny-mayor-dies-at-88/12703 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Ed Koch, a past New York mayor, one of Judaism's leading political figures, and a staunch advocate for Israel, died early this morning of congestive heart failure. He was 88. Koch spent decades on the political stage, most famously as New York City mayor from 1978 to 1989. He is noted as helping turn around the city he loved, bringing it through some of its most tumultuous years and paving the way for prosperous cultural years under the likes of successors like Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Though a

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/american-born-rabbi-among-the-surprising-faces-of-israel-s-future/12691 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The surprise of Israels 2013 election was the rapid ascendance of the new Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party, led by former television celebrity Yair Lapid, at the expense of Israels known political entities. The party surpassed all polling estimates to be come the nations second-most powerful party in Israels 19th Knesset. With 19 out of 120 parliamentary seats, Yesh Atid is in prime position to dictate many of the terms of Israels next ruling coalition, to be led by

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/australian-elections-to-take-place-on-yom-kippur/12685 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Australias prime minister is taking some flak, after calling for a national election to take place on Yom Kippur next September. PM Julia Gillard made the announcement yesterday, a move that would mean a shut out at the polls for the nations 100,000-strong Jewish community. Jewish leaders within Australia have taken varying sides on the debate, with some calling it an insensitivity and others labeling it a non-issue. Executive Council of Australian Jewry Director Peter Wertheim told reporters,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/giffords-to-congress-too-many-children-are-dying-video/12671 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Former Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords was a surprise speaker at todays first Congressional committee hearing on gun control. Speaking in halted sentences, the result of injuries from 2011s assassination attempt that left six others dead, Giffords appealed to lawmakers for tighter gun regulations. "Thank you for inviting me here today. This is an important conversation for our children, for our communities, for Democrats and Republicans," Giffords, who is Jewish, said. "Speaking is

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-groups-mourn-passing-of-human-rights-negotiator-max-kampelman/12669 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jewish groups mourned the passing of Max Kampelman, the top US human rights negotiator who straddled the Carter and Reagan presidencies and who helped bring about recognition of the plight of Soviet Jews. Kampelman, 92, died at his Washington DC home on Jan. 25, according to reports. Born in New York to Jewish immigrants from Romania, Kampelman befriended Hubert Humphrey in the 1940s when Humphrey was mayor of Minneapolis, and followed him to Washington as a staffer when Humphrey was elected to the Senate. He

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/morsi-aide-holocaust-an-industry-america-created/12664 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Mohammed Morsi aide has claimed the Holocaust was a hoax invented by the US, Fox News is reporting. The myth of the Holocaust is an industry that America invented, said Fathi Shihab-Eddim. US intelligence agencies in cooperation with their counterparts in allied nations during World War II created [the Holocaust] to destroy the image of their opponents in Germany, and to justify war and massive destruction against military and civilian facilities of the Axis powers, and especially to hit

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ex-italian-pm-silvio-berlusconi-defends-some-of-mussolini-s-policies/12652 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 During the inauguration of a Holocaust memorial in Milan, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Benito Mussolini's fascist regime had carried out some positive policies. The fact of the racial laws was the worst fault of a leader, Mussolini, who in many other ways did well, Berlusconi said in informal remarks to the media at the ceremony on Sunday, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The memorial dedicated at Milans train station is located at Track 21, from which 700

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-taps-chief-of-staff-with-strong-ties-to-jewish-community/12643 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 President Obama named as his new chief of staff a security official, Denis McDonough, who has strong ties to the Jewish organizational community. McDonough, until now the deputy to National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, handled much of the National Security Council's Israel-related traffic and has strong ties with Jewish groups. He addressed the Washington Institute for Near East Policy just weeks before the last presidential election. "Over the last four years, in speaking privately with me, and more publicly

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-worry-about-israel-s-radicals-not-it-s-religious/12620 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. Last week I was having a drink in Washington DC with a colleague at the well-known bar, and former employer of Congressman Paul Ryan, Tortilla Coast. While deciding what to order I overheard two Hill staffers talking about

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/green-parties-accused-of-unkosher-campaign-tactics-video/12619 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Israels Green Leaf party, Ale Yarok, has been accused of resorting to subliminal messages to get voters in the recent election. Opponents of the liberal party claim that the group planted an extra frame in their 30-second video in order to subliminally suggest to viewers to say yes to freedom and vote for fringe political group. The Green Leaf party immediately responded to the accusations on Facebook. Were a bit shocked by this ludicrous report, the party spokesperson

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-analyzing-the-israeli-elections/12618 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. The final results are in: Likud-Beiteinu 31, Yesh Atid 19, Labor 15, Jewish Home 12, Shas 11, United Torah Judaism 7, Hatnuah 6, Meretz 6, Hadash 4, Taal 4, Balad 3, and Kadima 2. The big winner is Yesh Atid as its 19

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/71-of-israelis-want-environment-to-be-a-priority-issue-for-new-government/12604 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Environmental issues are a high priority for Israelis, according to a newly released survey by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. In Israel, 75.3 percent of those polled believe that addressing environmental issues are essential to their quality of life as well as the health of the nation. Despite narrowly winning the election, Netanyahus Likud party did not define a strong environmental platform on the campaign trail and has shown mixed results while in office. Political writer Alphi

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/belgian-senate-strengthens-text-on-nation-s-holocaust-era-complicity/12601 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Reacting to complaints by Belgian Jews, the countrys Senate has issued a strengthened version of a text recognizing Holocaust-era complicity. The new version was passed unanimously by the Belgian Senate on Wednesday. The Senate hereby enacts the governments statement made on Sept. 9, 2012, by Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, who acknowledged the responsibility of Belgian authorities, and through it that of the Belgian state, in the persecution of Jews in Belgium, the resolution now

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-yair-lapid-and-the-peace-process/12593 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. There are misconceptions that the rise of Yair Lapids Yesh Atid party, which is now the second biggest party in the Knesset, will somehow result in a renewed liberal conviction in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. On

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-home-gains-surprise-seat-pushes-conservative-bloc-ahead/12586 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israels voting committee announced final results for the national election this morning, awarding a right-leaning group one more seat than was expected and upending the supposed even split between conservatives and liberals. Jewish Home walked away with 12 seats, despite pundits claiming since Tuesday that the right-wing party would take 11. When exit polls put the party at the lower figure, the Knesset looked to be split 60/60 down the middle, meaning trouble for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/washington-post-calls-on-obama-to-reset-relations-with-netanyahu/12575 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 President Obama should "reset" his relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Washington Post wrote in an editorial. "The wise US policy would be to concede, and maybe even welcome, Mr. Netanyahus reelection while quietly urging him to construct a centrist government," urged the editorial published on Jan. 22, Election Day in Israel. The editorial presumes that Netanyahu will be elected to a third term as Israel's prime minister, saying, "No scenario contemplated by political analysts foresees anyone other

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-reacts-to-israeli-election/12573 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 As Israelis continue to wade through the coalition news pouring in today, US officials applauded the close of another democratically driven Israeli election. Mazal tov to the Israeli people on their just completed elections! Always inspiring to see democracy in action! US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro tweeted. He added: United States looks forward to working closely with the next government of Israel. Fascinating election from a US perspective. Every democratic system is

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jews-live-in-fear-in-europe-european-parliament-president-says/12572 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jewish people are living in fear in Europe but the European Union will make sure they are not harmed, the president of the European Parliament said. Yes, Jewish people are living in fear in Europe but this is not 1929, this is 2012, European Parliament President Martin Schultz has said Jan. 22 during a speech about anti-Semitism which he delivered at the European Parliament during a ceremony commemorating Holocaust victims. He added that the European Union was established on the lessons of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/idf-soldiers-head-to-the-polls/12570 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 An estimated 80 percent of IDF soldiers voted in the elections for the 19th Knesset yesterday, most of them opting to vote at polling stations on IDF bases throughout the country. Special officers were trained for the task of overseeing the entire voting process taking place at a total of over 750 IDF polling stations. Some 4,000 soldiers were mobilized to operate the polling stations, with each individual station operated by a polling committee consisting of soldiers in their regular service. Early voting began

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-leaders-speak-out-on-election-results/12569 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 As political analysts scurried to prophesize what the Knessets new coalition might look like, the government leaders themselves came out in force to remark on yesterdays Israeli election. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whos Likud-Beiteinu took 31 seats, maintained a positive air today, despite speculation over his chances of forming a successful coalition. We woke up this morning to a clear message from the public: it wants me to form a government that will bring about great

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/yair-lapid-the-man-who-took-israel-by-storm/12567 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 As Israeli exit polls began to spill in last night, there was one name on everyones lips: Yair Lapid. Though Benjamin Netanyahus party earned the most seats in yesterdays national election, Lapids newly formed Yesh Atid party shocked pundits with its 19 seat take. The figure was far above what polls predicted in the weeks leading up to the vote, with some reports predicting as few as eights seats for the party. It was also enough to catapult Lapid to the position of leader of the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-national-elected-to-knesset-will-give-up-citizenship/12566 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A dual American-Israeli citizen who was elected to the Knesset will have to give up his American citizenship when he takes office. Rabbi Dov Lipman, elected Jan. 22 to the Knesset from the Yesh Atid party, is the third US citizen to serve in the Knesset and the first to voluntarily give up his citizenship, Haaretz reported. Lipman is No. 17 on the list of the party headed by former television personality Yair Lapid; the party garnered the second highest vote total. Lipman, of Beit Shemesh, immigrated to Israel

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hagel-reassures-jewish-leaders-on-iran-israel-s-edge/12562 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Chuck Hagel in a meeting with Jewish organizational leaders affirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge. "Sen. Hagel met with the leadership of several major American Jewish organizations at the White House as a part of his ongoing outreach," said a Jan. 22 statement from Hagel's office at Georgetown University, where President Obama's defense secretary nominee is a professor. "He discussed his commitment to the US-Israel

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-exit-polls-bibi-slim-winner-yesh-atid-pulls-in-big-numbers/12558 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 National Israeli voting has closed for the day, meaning initial exit polls are already out. Benjamin Netanyahus Likud-Beiteinu party looks to be the clear winner from a numbers standpoint, earning an anticipated 31 seats in the Knesset. That figure makes Bibis party the largest in the government, though it is a steep decline from the anticipated 37 or 36 pollsters were predicting just last week. According to exit-poll results, it is clear that the citizens of Israel demonstrated that they

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israelis-cast-surprising-votes-for-political-candidates/12549 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 There are Israeli voters making some surprising and rather unexpected choices for political candidates on Tuesday, January 22. Yair Hizni, who grew up in a settler family in Hebron, is casting his vote for Shelly Yachimovich, the leader of Israels Labor Party. Hizni, a teacher, who lived in the settlement community of Nokdim in Judea before recently moving to Jerusalem, spoke with Tazpit News Agency about his decision to support Labor's Yachimovich. Its less about the political parties and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israelis-go-to-the-polls-in-large-numbers/12542 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israelis were voting for the 19th Knesset in record numbers. On a sunny and warm Election Day, more than one-quarter of eligible Israelis had voted as of noon on Jan. 22--reportedly the highest voter turnout since 1999. Most polls will remain open until 10 p.m. There are nearly 5.66 millon eligible voters and some 10,132 ballot boxes set up across the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Western Wall after voting when the polls first opened in Jerusalem. He reportedly placed a paper in the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/italian-politician-fiamma-nirenstein-planning-aliyah/12528 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Fiamma Nirenstein, a prominent Jewish Italian political figure, is planning a move to Israel. Nirenstein will not run for re-election to Parliament in next months general elections and in Israel will resume work as a journalist writing about the country. Her motivations for stepping down after five years in the Chamber of Deputies are the two loves of my life, journalism and Israel, she said in an interview published Jan. 17 in the Il Giornale newspaper. She added that she plans to

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/knesset-election-predictions-final-round/12522 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Its the last Friday before Israelis go to the voting booth, and the last official day Israeli newspapers can publish its prediction polls. Not surprisingly, Benjamin Netanyahu is still expected to retain his premiership following the Tuesday elections. However, data printed today shows the hawkish PM will likely squeak by with a narrower coalition that previously predicted. Several news sources are saying Netanyahu will walk away with a 63-seat coalition, a slim majority in the 120-seat Knesset. This

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/german-jewish-activist-voted-sexiest-female-politician/12502 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A 25-year-old Jewish woman has been voted Germany's sexiest female politician. Marina Weisband, 25, a leading member of the "Pirate Party Germany," took first place in a Playboy online poll with 29 percent of the votes. According to the Bild Zeitung newspaper, 1,000 people took part in the poll. Coming in second was the Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht, with 28 percent of the vote. Weisband came to Germany with her family from Ukraine in 1994, in the wave of Jewish emigration following the fall of the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bibi-to-obama-israel-knows-its-own-interests/12498 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Benjamin Netanyahu has shot back at rumored remarks from Barack Obama, telling the world that Israelis are in charge of their own destiny. "Only the Israeli people will determine who best represents the State of Israel's vital interests," Netanyahu said yesterday during a visit to the Gaza Division of the Israel Defense Forces. The comment came after a highly publicized column by Bloomberg writer Jeffrey Goldberg, who claimed Obama has privately expressed disagreement with Netanyahus new E1 settlement

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ha-study-says-comedy-shows-have-greater-political-influence-than-the-news/12497 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Avner Meyrav, NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News Is it too late for Bibi, Livni, Shelly and co. to switch from somewhat empty promises to good old knock-knock jokes? According to a recent study, if you want to influence peoples belief, you have to make em laugh! Right in time for the upcoming general elections in Israel, a study from the University of Haifa shows that political satire television shows strongly impact peoples political thoughts. According to the study, the more political

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-religious-lay-leaders-join-call-to-ban-assault-weapons/12488 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 An interfaith alliance including Jewish religious and lay leaders is seeking a ban on assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines. Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence held a news conference on Jan. 15 calling for the bans, as well as improved background screening of gun buyers. On what would have been civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.s 84th birthday, the group also urged Americans to work together to help curb gun violence and spoke of the need to improve how the mentally ill are

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/donald-trump-and-chuck-norris-back-bibi-video/12484 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Donald Trump is back in the political endorsement game, but this time hes dipping into foreign waters. The fiery billionaire, who famously backed Mitt Romney in last years US election, has put out a video promoting Benjamin Netanyahu for next weeks Israeli elections. My name is Donald Trump and Im a big fan of Israel, Trump says in the clip. You truly have a great prime minister in Benjamin Netanyahu--theres nobody like him. Hes a winner. Hes

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-considers-exempting-israeli-tourists-from-visa-process/12482 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The US is currently considering measures that would allow Israeli citizens to enter the states without first acquiring a visa. The Visa Waiver for Israel Act was introduced to Congress last year, when Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) moved for the legislation along with Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX). Representatives brought the issue forward for the first time in the Hill yesterday, with fellow congressmen and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon giving remarks in support. Im pleased to

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/meet-yair-shamir-the-political-scion-who-could-replace-avigdor-lieberman/12464 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Yair Shamir says he doesnt discuss hypotheticals. For the Israeli Air Force commander turned technocrat turned politician, these topics include how to respond to settlement evacuations or achieve Palestinian statehood, a fracture in the US-Israel relationship or Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liebermans departure from politics. Shamir, the 67-year-old scion of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, is the hard-line Yisrael Beiteinus No. 2. With Lieberman, the former foreign minister,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jan-fischer-knocked-out-of-czech-presidential-race/12458 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Czech Jewish presidential candidate Jan Fischer failed to reach the second round of voting, despite being considered a leading contender. Fischer, aiming to become the country's first Jewish president, finished third among the nine candidates with 16.4 percent of the vote, according to the Times of Israel. The top two finishers in the balloting held Friday and Saturday advanced to a runoff. Fischer, who had served briefly as prime minister of the Czech Republic following the collapse of the government coalition

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/powell-calls-hagel-strong-supporter-of-israel/12453 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Former Secretary of State Colin Powell defended the presidents nomination of Chuck Hagel for secretary of defense, calling Hagel "a very, very strong supporter of the state of Israel. Powell made the remarks during yesterdays episode of Meet the Press with David Gregory. "My judgment and my knowledge of Chuck and my discussion with Chuck would suggest that he wants to see both sides come to the table and find a solution. He supports the peace process, Powell

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/senator-tells-bibi-us-and-israel-share-same-agenda/12438 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 US Senator Mitch McConnell sat down with Benjamin Netanyahu Friday, telling the Israeli prime minister that America and the Jewish state share identical goals in regards to the Middle East. "As everybody in Israel knows, there are a lot of things we disagree on in America, we've had big battles over deficit and debt, but there's broad bi-partisan support for Israel, and our agenda in this part of the world is the same as your agenda," McConnell said. The Kentucky senator is in Israel as leader of a diplomatic

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-nyt-peres-interview-points-to-pro-hagel-bias/12429 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. On Wednesday the New York Times ran an article by Ronen Bergman recounting an interview with Shimon Peres, during which the Israeli president stated he believed US President Barack Obama would bomb Iran if all other options

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jerusalem-embassy-visa-perennials-reintroduced-in-congress/12418 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Two pro-Israel perennials were reintroduced in the new Congress: a bill seeking to force the president to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem and one that would waive visa requirements for visiting Israelis. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) introduced the Jerusalem bill on Jan. 3, the first day of the 113th Congress. It differs from the 1995 bill that overwhelmingly passed Congress in that it removes a presidential waiver invoked every six months to prevent moving the embassy as a matter of national security. It also

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/peres-talks-hamas-arab-spring-and-the-us-israeli-relationship/12409 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The New York Times published a lengthy interview with Shimon Peres yesterday, a piece in which the Israeli president discussed Palestine, Syria, the Arab Spring, and, not surprisingly, the US-Israeli relationship in regards to Iran. America knows how to throw a punch when it has to, in order to keep the world balanced. But the punches follow a set procedure. They dont begin by shooting. They try all the other means first economic sanctions, political pressure, negotiations, everything

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/barak-in-dc-meeting-with-key-us-officials/12407 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is in Washington meeting with top US officials. Barak, who has announced his resignation, is meeting "leaders of government, and leaders of the defense and intelligence establishments," a two-sentence statement from his office said. His four-day visit began Wednesday. He likely will leave office after the Jan. 22 elections in Israel, although pundits in Israel have suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may return Barak to his job as an out-of-Knesset Cabinet

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jack-lew-makes-history-as-highest-ranking-jew-ever-in-us/12403 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The takeout menu at the White Houses lunch service saw a new addition in 2012a kosher option. That change can be pinned on one man: Jack Lew, the current Chief of Staff for President Barack Obama and the man tipped to be the next Secretary of the Treasury. The move makes Lew the highest-ranking Orthodox Jew in US history. Lew is a New York native with an extensive background in finance. The 57-year-old is a Harvard and Georgetown graduate who advanced up the chain of command early and often,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hagel-defends-defense-nomination-against-detractors/12402 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Much to the dismay of the conservative GOP and pro-Israel supporters everywhere, former Republican Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel was given the nomination for Secretary of Defense by President Barack Obama. While there will be some resistance in the Senate to the nomination, he is expected to be confirmed. When word leaked several weeks ago that Obama was going to nominate Hagel for the post, it was met by a storm of criticism and praise. William Kristol, founder and editor of the neoconservative political magazine

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/in-israel-us-sen-rand-paul-calls-for-end-to-foreign-assistance/12383 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 US Sen. Rand Paul called for a reduction of foreign assistance during a visit to Israel. Paul (R-Ky.), who opposes foreign assistance, including defense aid to Israel, on Monday told the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies that the United States will always be Israel's friend but that "it will be harder and harder to be a friend if we are out of money." Paul, one of four new Republicans appointed to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the United States should start cutting its foreign assistance by

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jan-fischer-czech-joe-lieberman-could-be-europe-s-first-jewish-president/12373 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 If the pundits are correct, the Czech Republic may become the first country other than Israel to elect a Jewish president. Jan Fischer, 62, an understated former prime minister who led a caretaker government following a coalition collapse in 2009, is neck and neck in the polls with another former government head as the nation holds its first round of presidential elections on Friday and Saturday. The two front-runners advance to a runoff, and political prognosticators are predicting that Fischer will reach the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/giffords-meets-with-newtown-officials-to-talk-gun-control/12366 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords traveled to Newtown, Conn., to discuss gun control with local and state officials. Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, spoke with the officials last Friday about such issues as gun control legislation and identifying and treating the mentally ill, according to several news accounts of the 45-minute meeting. They also talked about the many forces in the United States that can desensitize people to violence. The meeting came just days before the second anniversary

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/can-natan-sharansky-fix-the-western-wall/12362 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 He brought unprecedented attention to the plight of Soviet Jewry. He stood up to the KGB. He survived nine years in Siberia. He served in Israels fractious government. Now, Natan Sharansky is facing his next challenge: finding a solution to the growing battle over womens prayer restrictions at the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest site. In recent months, Diaspora Jewish activists have grown increasingly incensed by the arrests and detention of women seeking to pray publicly at the site in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/shimon-peres-launches-new-voting-app-video/12354 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli President Shimon Peres is doing his part to encourage young people to vote, and hes using social media to push that agenda. Peres, 89, launched a Facebook application called Voter Brings a Friend, which will allow savvy voters to check in at polling booths and watch friends' voting statuses come Israeli election day later this month. Peres post is designated by the Knesset, not the electorate, making the initiative fully nonpartisan. "I call upon every young person with the right to vote

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-is-shas-statement-against-west-bank-annexation-believable/12344 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. A day after senior Likud members called for the annexation of the West Bank, Arye Deri, one of the three chairmen of the ultra-religious right wing party Shas, told The Jerusalem Post that he not only supports an interim peace

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-with-likud-calling-for-annexation-of-west-bank-2-state-solution-on-life-support/12337 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. Anyone trying to justify that Likud is a party that sincerely wants two-states for two peoples, Israel for the Jews and Palestine for the Palestinians, should consider recent events. Several senior Likud ministers who attended

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/designate-hezbollah-as-terrorist-group-us-house-resolution-urges-eu/12316 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The US House of Representatives passed a resolution urging the European Union and its member states to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on the group. The bipartisan resolution, which passed Wednesday, would prevent Hezbollah from using EU territories for fundraising, recruitment, training and propaganda. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) authored the resolution, which was co-sponsored by 85 representatives. Once called the A Team of terrorists by a senior State

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/the-builder-of-jerusalem-6-years-after-the-death-of-teddy-kollek-video/12295 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Six years ago today, the man known as the greatest builder of Jerusalem since Herod passed away. Theodore Teddy Kollek died at the age of 95, after spending decades in service as the Mayor of Jerusalem. Kollek came to the post in 1965, just two years before reunification, seeing the city through some of its most transformative and prosperous years. Kollek was born just outside of Budapest in 1911, named for Theodor Herzl. He moved with his family to Vienna, where he spent his

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/knesset-election-predictions-round-5/12291 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 As Israeli Election Day draws nearer, Benjamin Netanyahus party continues to slowly slip down in prediction polls. Likud Beiteinu, the prime ministers newly formed party with Israel Beiteinu, looks this week to win 34 seats in the January 22 ballot. Thats two seats less than we predicted last week, and three seats less than our December 10 predictions. Likewise, Labor has slipped once again, now at 17 seats from last weeks estimate of 19. Meanwhile, Jewish Home continues to climb,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hamas-could-take-over-pa-netanyahu-says-calling-for-security-for-israel/12288 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed concern that Hamas would take over the Palestinian Authority before or after a peace agreement. "In Egypt, the regime has been replaced, in Syria the regime is being shaken and this could also happen in the Palestinian Authority areas in Judea and Samaria. Everyone knows that Hamas could take over the Palestinian Authority. It could happen after an agreement, it could happen before an agreement, like it happened in Gaza," Netanyahu said Tuesday. His comments

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-aide-ron-dermer-brings-american-sensibilities-to-israeli-politics/12284 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Like many Israeli politicians, Ron Dermer is an unapologetic defender of Israels actions, even if it might mean being undiplomatic. But like a seasoned diplomat, Dermer -- senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- knows his way through Washingtons backchannels and has cultivated relationships with senior US policymakers. Most important, say those who know him, he has Netanyahus ear. Netanyahu likes him, respects him and listens to him, said Uzi Arad,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/joint-hatnuah-green-ticket-focuses-on-environmental-issues/12242 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Israeli election race is all about politics and cost of living, Professor Adi Wolfson stated in a recent Ynet editorial. Environmental issues take a back seat to the other headlines dominating the news cycles, such as security threats and the economic crisis. A new political alliance hopes to soon change that. Last week, Hatnuah Party leader Tzipi Livni announced that the union of the Hatnuah and Green parties on the most recent ticket created an "unprecedented historical

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/oren-resigns-from-post-new-israeli-ambassador-to-us-selected/12241 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren has announced his intention to resign in the spring of next year, and a replacement has already been appointed. Current Netanyahu advisor Ron Dermer will step into the post, earmarking a career already dotted with a vast number of diplomatic positions. Dermer, like Oren, is American born, but gave up his American citizenship when he became Israels Minister for Economic Affairs in the US. The 43-year-old was born in Miami Beach, FL, the son of the local mayor and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jailed-in-israel-marwan-barghouti-says-he-ll-be-president-of-palestine/12236 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Marwan Barghouti, a convicted terrorist jailed in Israel, said he will be the president of a Palestinian state. Barghouti also said in an interview reported Wednesday night on Israel's Channel 10 and conducted jointly with the Haaretz newspaper that he would not promise that there would not be a third intifada -- unlike Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas -- though he believes it could be a nonviolent uprising. Military censors did not allow the actual film of the interview to be broadcast. Instead,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/past-israeli-intelligence-head-says-2-state-solution-time-is-now/12235 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israels former military intelligence chief warned this week that the Jewish state must propose a two-state solution plan to Palestine, else Israelis will lose international support. Amos Yadlin made the remarks Tuesday at a conference in Tel Aviv, saying it was time for Israel to take its destiny into its own hands. "They listen to what we say, and we're saying there won't be peace, Yadlin said of the Palestinians. "Israel will be wiped out if there is no two-state

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ex-israeli-foreign-minister-avigdor-lieberman-indicted-for-fraud/12233 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Former Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust. Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein submitted the indictment Thursday against Lieberman for allegedly advancing the position of Zeev Ben Aryeh, Israel's former ambassador to Belarus, in exchange for information on an investigation against him. The indictment followed more questioning this week of members of a Foreign Ministry appointments panel as well as further questioning of Lieberman. Lieberman resigned last

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/mich-le-flournoy-the-next-secretary-of-defense/12232 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Amid pressure from Republican and pro-Israel hawks, US President Barack Obama may be thinking twice about appointing Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as the head of the Department of Defense. Instead, Michle Flournoy is being touted as a good alternative. Flournoy has impressive credentials. She has proven Pentagon experience as the former undersecretary of defense for policy, was Obamas Department of Defense transition team head, and in 2007 co-founded the Center for New American Security, a

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/brian-schatz-hawaii-s-jewish-lt-gov-named-to-us-senate/12229 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Hawaii's governor named his Jewish lieutenant governor, Brian Schatz, to replace the late Daniel Inouye in the US Senate. Gov. Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat, on Wednesday named Schatz, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party, to replace Inouye, who died last week. Schatz, 40, lists his religion as Jewish on his Facebook page. He campaign for President Obama in Hawaii, Obama's home state, in 2008, and his experience is in the non-profit sector. He was for a time the CEO of Helping Hands Hawaii, a social

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/knesset-election-2013-predictions-round-4/12217 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Election Day on January 22 is creeping closer and closer, and recent polls show predicted contenders to be holding strong, with a few minor changes. Jewish Home is the only party looking to gain on past predictions. The party was reported last week to earn 11 seats in the election, but now looks to earn 13. Should that estimate prove true, Jewish Home will likely be the third largest party in the Knesset. Likud Beiteinu, Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Liebermans new combined party, looks in line

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jews-and-pro-israel-community-warm-to-prospect-of-a-secretary-of-state-john-kerry/12204 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 On a wintry day at a small Iowa shul in November of 2003, John Kerry got all verklempt. The man whose opponents had taken to depicting as aloof and patrician, whose campaign for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination had been all but written off by that point, leapt onto the dais at Tifereth Israel synagogue in Des Moines. Kerry delivered an emotional account of his then-recent discovery that his grandfather was Jewish and recalled how, on a visit to Israel standing atop Masada, he had cried out, Am

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-gun-control-israel-versus-the-us/12190 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. Since the unfortunate killing spree in Connecticut last week the world has turned its attention to US and international gun laws and regulations. Jspace felt it important to review Israels gun culture, as several public

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-political-profile-the-am-shalem-party/12182 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Dynamic MK and Rabbi Haim Amsalem began the Am Shalem Party in 2011, and still remains its leader today. The Rabbi, originally of Oran, Iran, used to be a part of the ultra-conservative orthodox party, Shas, but was promptly exiled after speaking out on the need for the orthodox to reform their social and religious views. As a response, Amsalem started his own party, Am Shalem, or the complete nation, which was built on a platform of social justice and acceptance of moderate Judaism. The Am

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-jewish-worries-about-chuck-hagel-as-secretary-of-defense/12168 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. According to those close to the White House, Barack Obama plans to appoint former Republican Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel as the next Secretary of Defense. While Hagel technically represents a bipartisan pick, conservative

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/12-21-12-round-up-am-edition/12166 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Up-and-coming Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett has come under fire for claiming he would refuse to participate in the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. If I am ever given an order to evacuate a Jew from his home personally, my conscience wont allow me to do it, Bennet said during an interview Thursday night. [Times of Israel] Two UK teens were detained by Jerusalem Police after taking part in Women of the Wall's religious rights protest at the Kotel last

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/un-general-assembly-adopts-nine-resolutions-condemning-israel/12152 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The United Nations General Assembly adopted nine resolutions on the topics of Palestinian rights and the Golan Heights. The resolutions adopted Tuesday criticized Israel for the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people, and focused on the extremely difficult socioeconomic conditions being faced by the Palestine refugees" in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. One resolution condemned Israel for continuing to hold the Golan Heights, and demanded Israel to

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ukraine-approves-anti-semitic-slur-against-mila-kunis/12146 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Ukrainian Jewish leaders are biting back at their nations recent approval of an anti-Semitic slur. Last month, a member of the far-right Svoboda Party took to Facebook to call Ukrainian-born Mila Kunis a zhydovka, the feminine form of zyhd, which translates to yid in English. Igor Miroshnichenko wrote on his Facebook page that the Jewish actress, who immigrated to the US as a child, was not Ukrainian but a Jewess. The accepted term for a Jewish woman in Ukrainian

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/aipac-backed-senators-letter-urges-obama-against-iran-concessions/12144 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A letter signed by more than half the US Senate and backed by AIPAC urged President Obama to keep up pressure on Iran. "We strongly believe there should be absolutely no diminution of pressure on the Iranians until the totality of their nuclear program has been addressed," reads the letter, initiated by Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and signed by another 54 senators. "The time for limited confidence-building measures is over." The letter, released Tuesday and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/knesset-election-2013-jspace-predictions-round-3/12135 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Election Day is just four weeks away, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still looks primed for a major coup. Netanyahus Likud recently joined with Israel Beiteinu to make Likud Beiteinu, and the party has been favored to win big in the January 22 vote. With last weeks resignation of Avigdor Lieberman, head of Israel Beiteinu, some analysts predicted the new party to take a hit. Our polling shows Likud Beiteinu maintaining its predicted 37 seats, though analysis of the numbers does show

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-enacts-jackson-vanik-graduation/12134 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 President Obama enacted a bill pushed by Jewish groups that graduated Russia and Moldova out of Jackson-Vanik provisions restricting trade. "Russia's record isn't perfect," said Mark Levin, the director of NCSJ, a key group backing the new law, at the Friday signing ceremony at the White House. "But this law recognizes important progress on religious freedom and emigration, and it's the right thing to do." The 1974 amendment restricts trades with countries that unlawfully restrict emigration and was a tool in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/amnon-lipkin-shahak-past-idf-head-dies-at-68/12133 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, former IDF head and cabinet minister who was key in several secret Israeli operations, died today at the age of 68 after battling cancer for years. Lipkin-Shahak began his service as part of a paratrooper brigade, taking part in the 1973 Beirut raid against top commanders in Black September, the group responsible for the Munich 11 killings. The two-time Medal of Courage recipient was side by side with comrade Ehud Barak on that mission, who Lipkin-Shahak would later serve under when Barak

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/12-19-12-round-up-am-edition/12131 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Jewish leaders and lobbyists are sending out notices about Chuck Hagels past comments on Israel in a bid to keep President Barack Obama from naming him as secretary of defense. [NYTimes] In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings, many Jewish advocacy groups are looking to help strengthen gun control laws. [JPost] In Washington DC, where 40 percent of the Jewish population is married to a partner who is not Jewish, the Interfaith Families Project looks to help make life easier. [WaMu] According

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/polish-parliament-reportedly-will-protect-ritual-slaughter/12121 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Polish parliament apparently is set to amend the law on animal protection to allow ritual slaughter without stunning. "We have prepared a draft amendment to the law on the protection of animals," Agriculture Minister Stanislaw Kalemba was quoted as saying by the Polish Press Agency. The parliament may vote on the proposal in January. A Polish court ruled in late November that a 2004 government directive enshrining ritual slaughter was unconstitutional. Ritually slaughtered meat is exported from Poland

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/inouye-hailed-by-pro-israel-groups-dies-at-88/12113 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Daniel Inouye, the longtime Hawaii senator described by pro-Israel groups as one of Israel's best friends in the Senate, has died. Inouye, 88, and a decorated World War II hero, died Monday of respiratory complications at Walter Reid National Military Medical Center, the Washington Post reported. "Senator Inouye deeply understood the importance of the US-Israel relationship, and as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, worked tirelessly and effectively to ensure that Americas ally, Israel, had the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hungarian-lawmaker-detained-after-burning-israeli-flag/12099 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Hungarian lawmaker with links to the ultranationalist Jobbik Party reportedly was detained after burning an Israeli flag in Budapest. Balazs Lenhardt, who left Jobbik last month, burned the flag at a demonstration by far-rightists on Dec. 14. He was released shortly after questioning when he declined to waive his parliamentary immunity, the Hungarian news agency Magyar Tavirati Iroda reported. According to the report, Lenhardt, who is serving in parliament as an independent, was taken into custody on suspicion

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bibi-to-hamas-western-wall-will-always-belong-to-israel/12098 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised that the Western Wall and the State of Israel as a whole would always belong to the Jewish people, following Hamas comments to the contrary. In recent days, I have heard that the Palestinians are saying that the Western Wall is occupied territory, Netanyahu said while lighting a menorah at the Kotel on the last night of Hanukkah. I want to tell them from the closest possible place to the miracle of the jar of oil: The Western

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/joe-lieberman-calls-for-commission-on-violence-after-ct-shooting/12096 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut addressed reporters yesterday, calling for renewed discourse on violence in the wake of his states school shooting that left 20 children dead. "I'm always reluctant about commissions, but I really believe we ought to have a national commission on violence, the Jewish senator said. These events are happening more frequently and I worry that if we don't take a thoughtful look at them, we're going to lose the hurt and the anger that we have now." "And that

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-lawmakers-write-morales-urging-ostreicher-release/12080 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A bipartisan slate of nine members of the US House of Representatives urged Bolivian President Evo Morales to bring about the release of New York businessman Jacob Ostreicher, who has been jailed without charges for 18 months. A Bolivian appeals court this week refused to release Ostreicher, instead sending his case back to a lower court. "We are writing to request that you take whatever legal action is necessary to secure the unconditional and immediate release of" Ostreicher, said the letter, spearheaded by

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/lieberman-says-goodbye-on-senate-floor-video/12074 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Senator Joe Lieberman gave his farewell address yesterday, ending a career that saw the Connecticut politician become the first Jewish nominee on a major party presidential ballot. Known for his bipartisan appealLieberman ran for vice president as a Democrat in 2000, but was a serious contender for the running mate slot on Republican John McCains ticket in 2008he ultimately ended his 24-year tenure as an Independent. It requires reaching across the aisle and finding partners from the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/avigdor-lieberman-resigns-following-fraud-indictment/12067 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has resigned, following yesterdays announcement that he would be indicted for fraud and breach of trust. Lieberman has been under investigation for more than a decade on corruption suspicions, amid allegations he accepted financial bribes over the course of his tenure to the tune of $1.2 million. "Today, I held meetings with my attorneys and members of the election campaign. Considering the nature of the indictment and the circumstances of the case and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/12-14-12-round-up-pm-edition/12065 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says he will not resign right now, despite facing charges for breach of trust and fraud. He will only reevaluate his position for now and decide before elections. [Times of Israel] Expand you culinary prowess by exploring the latke possibilities. [Times of Israel] Conan Obriens late night television show featured a Human Centipede menorah and R2D2 dreidel. [Algemeiner] The players of the Houston Rockets were videoed trying to sing the lyrics

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/congress-wants-to-increase-allocations-to-israeli-missile-programs/12053 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Congress wants to at least double the Obama administration's funding request for anti-missile cooperation with Israel. Obama asked Congress for $99.9 million in 2013 for "Israel co-operative programs," which include programs like the long-range Arrow anti-missile system and the short-range David's Sling. The US House of Representatives version of the National Defense Authorization Act, passed earlier this year, recommended adding $168 million to that request, and the Senate recommended adding $100 million in its

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-dems-head-david-harris-steps-down/12052 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The head of the National Jewish Democratic Council is stepping down, just weeks after concluding major campaigning for President Barack Obama. "With the confidence of knowing that Ive accomplished key goals here at NJDC that are central to our mission, Im very much looking forward to new professional challenges and directions," said President David Harris yesterday. Harris, 43, took on the post in 2009 and spent three years focusing on shaping the publics view of Obamas stance on

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/avigdor-lieberman-indicted-for-fraud-breach-of-trust/12051 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has been indicted for fraud and breach of trust, just weeks before Israelis head to the polls. The news ended a 12-year investigation into Liebermans alleged crimes, the majority of which focused on supposed bribes and money laundering. While Lieberman was cleared of some of the more serious charges against him, Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein announced today his intent to bring Lieberman in on the fraud and trust breach suspicions. "I am convinced

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/lieberman-receives-intelligence-community-s-highest-award/12029 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Outgoing Sen. Joseph Lieberman was awarded the National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal for extraordinary service to the nation. Lieberman (I-Conn.), who chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, on Tuesday received the highest recognition awarded by the intelligence community to one who is not part of the community. James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, called Lieberman a steadfast ally of the intelligence community. It

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/new-congress-will-be-missing-some-of-its-longtime-pro-israel-pillars/12028 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 When the new Congress convenes in January, it will be missing several longtime pillars of support for Israel on Capitol Hill. Gone from the House of Representatives will be veteran Jewish Reps. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), the ranking member on the committees Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee; and Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), a point person on funding Israels missile defense efforts. Absent from the Senate will be Sen.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ross-abrams-and-jeffrey-see-strike-by-14-if-iran-does-not-comply/12010 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Three former high-ranking US foreign policy advisers agree that if Iran does not halt its suspected nuclear weapons program by the end of 2013, the United States or Israel will act militarily. Dennis Ross, until a year ago President Obamas top Iran policy adviser, and Elliott Abrams, a former deputy national security adviser to President George W. Bush, spoke at an event in their honor held Dec. 6 in New York by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Times of Israel reported. Asked by

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/meshal-speech-shows-israel-our-enemies-true-face-netanyahu-says/12006 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Hamas political chief Khaled Meshal's speech calling for a "fight to free Palestine from the Zionist occupier" shows Israel "our enemies' true face," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "Yesterday we were re-exposed to our enemies' true face," Israel's prime minister said at the start of the regular weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday. "They have no intention of compromising with us; they want to destroy the state." Netanyahu also pointed out that there was no condemnation from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/the-jews-of-forbes-most-influential-list/12004 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Forbes has just released its list of the 71 most influential people in the world and we took it upon ourselves to let you know just which Jews are running the planet. #71 Reid Hoffman Reid Hoffman co-founded and is now chairman of LinkedIn Corporation. A self made man, he is also a partner at venture capital firm Greylock Partners. In this down economy, he is the man to know. J-Connection: Hoffman has Jewish lineage. #66 Elon Musk Elon Musk is the founder and CEO of the SpaceX company, a private space

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/knesset-election-2013-jspace-predictions-round-2/12002 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 With just six weeks left until national elections in Israel, some major party changes mean new predictions for the 19th Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading a newly formed party, Likud Beiteinu, made up of the premiers current party joined with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermans Israel Beitenu. Prior to the partnering, Jspace polling showed Likud taking 30 seats on January 22, and Israel Beitenu taking 14. Now, the joint party looks to earn 37 seats, which would prove a stunning

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-family-offers-hanukkah-greetings/11999 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 President Obama and his family offered Hanukkah greetings to Jews around the world. Obama recalled the story of the Maccabees in his statement issued on Friday. He also addressed the deeper meaning of the holiday, saying, "Hanukkah is a time to celebrate the faith and customs of the Jewish people, but it is also an opportunity for people of all faiths to recognize the common aspirations we share. This holiday season, let us give thanks for the blessings we enjoy and remain mindful of those who are suffering. And

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/a-hectic-week-in-israel-politics/11976 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Its been a dynamic week in Israeli politics with big names being left off party lists, the enlargement of new political parties, the shrinking of others, a former prime minister shedding light on his political future, and international controversy surrounding settlements. This is the precursor to an election season that many believe may totally reshape the Israeli political scene. In a surprise move, secular nationalist party Yisrael Beteinu, which has merged with Likud to form the major rightist block

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/susan-rice-a-loyal-obama-soldier-wins-jewish-plaudits/11969 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The very quality that helped get Susan Rice in hot water with some in Washington is what pro-Israel groups have come to appreciate -- she is a vigorous and reliable defender of the Obama administrations foreign policies. Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations who is widely seen as a leading candidate to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, has garnered plaudits from Jewish communal leaders over her defenses of Israel at the world body. She has proven herself as an ardent

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/four-jewish-dems-in-top-house-committee-slots/11957 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Four Jewish Democrats kept or earned top slots on US House of Representatives committees. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) preserved his top slot on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, as did Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) on the Energy Committee, after the caucus' standing committee announced its selections on Tuesday. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) ascended to the top slot on the Appropriations Committee and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) is now the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Lowey replaced Rep. Norm

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-german-relations-strained-after-un-vote-abstention/11954 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Germanys unexpected abstention from the recent UN vote on an upgraded Palestinian status came as a shock to Israel. A report in Germany daily Der Spiegel Monday explored the reasons behind the decision, ranging from Israels politicking to prominent Israelis support of Palestines motion. As of mid-November, Chancellor Angela Merkel still believed that direct negotiations were the only rout to peace between Israel and Palestine, and that unilateral measures should be blocked. This was

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/emanuel-criticizes-netanyahu-for-obama-betrayal/11953 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Chicago Mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend, taking to task the Israeli leaders betrayal of the Obama administration. Not only was Emanuel angry about proposed settlement expansions and the cutoff of tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority, he was also irate that Netanyahu would back challenger Mitt Romney in the recent elections. Israeli paper Ynet Monday reported: The tension between the prime minister and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/college-democrats-republicans-sign-letter-of-solidarity/11943 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Presidents and executive board members of College Democrats of America and the College Republican National Committee have come together to sign a Letter of Solidarity with Israel. The Letter of Solidarity with Israel expresses both groups' unwavering support of Israels right to defend its citizens against terror as well as its right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. "We express unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/european-parliament-members-in-israel-discuss-un-vote/11936 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Four members of the European Parliament met with Israeli leaders during a solidarity visit to Israel following its escalated conflict with Hamas. The members of the European Parliament returned to Brussels on Monday after touring the areas hit by Hamas rockets during the fighting that erupted on Nov. 14 on the Gaza border with Israel, when the Israeli military launched its Operation Pillar of Defense. The visit by Marek Siwiecof Poland, Hannu Takkula of Finland, Bastiaan Belder of the Netherlands and Frederique

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/12-5-12-round-up-am-edition/11935 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Two men have admitted to terrorism after their plan to bomb synagogues and churches in Manhattan was discovered. [JPost] Swastikas were spray-painted on a kosher pizzeria in a northern suburb of Paris. [Israel National News] A new study shows that Muslims are the least likely to report premarital and extra-marital sexual relations. [Forward] Daniel Sieradski points out the hypocrisy of Jewish organizations staying silent in the face of Israeli settlement building, despite the likelihood it will kill a two-state

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-senators-urge-morsi-to-halt-gaza-arms-smuggling/11933 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A bipartisan slate of US senators urged Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to crack down on arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip. "In order for the cease-fire to hold, it is imperative that your government bolster its efforts to halt all weapons smuggling taking place via both overland and underground routes," said the letter, which was initiated by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and signed by another 16 senators. In the letter, sent Tuesday, the senators said they were "encouraged" by the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/australia-summons-israeli-envoy-over-settlement-construction/11927 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israels ambassador to Australia was dressed down by government officials after being summoned over Jerusalem's decision to expand settlement construction. Yuval Rotem at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Tuesday was apprised of the federal governments "grave concern" over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus decision to prepare for the construction of 3,000 new homes between Jerusalem and the West Bank -- an area known as E1. Britain, France and other European countries on Monday

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hungarian-prime-minister-responds-to-jobbik-anti-semitism/11919 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed to protect his countrys Jewish population, rejecting calls for a national Jewish registry by a far-right Jobbik lawmaker on Monday. "Last week sentences were uttered in parliament which are unworthy of Hungary," Orban told parliament in response to Marton Gyongyosis suggestion of a Jewish registry during a debate on violence in the Gaza Strip. "I rejected this call on behalf of the government, Orban continued. I would like you to know that

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/finnish-politico-blames-jewish-control-for-us-palestinian-stance/11918 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Finnish lawmaker is taking heat after accusing Jewish control for the USs refusal to acknowledge Palestine as a state. In an interview over the weekend, Finlands National Coalition member Pertti Salolainen told the YLE broadcaster that the US has a large Jewish population who have a significant control of the money and the media. The US for internal political reasons is afraid to become adequately involved. This is a sad truth about US politics. Salolainen is also

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ambassadors-summoned-from-israel-in-protest-over-settlements-plans/11913 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 France and Great Britain have summoned its ambassadors to Israel, in protest over the Jewish states move to build 3,000 housing sites in a settlement outside Jerusalem. Israel announced Friday its intention to expand settlement construction on a block of land that has been frozen since 2009. The news came just one day after Palestine successfully fought for elevated status within the United Nations. The UK said the construction places doubt on Israels stated commitment to achieving peace

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/clinton-reiterates-us-ties-to-israel-at-saban-forum/11907 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the keynote speaker at last weeks Saban Forum, an annual conference that this year focused on US-Israeli relations. The New York event, organized by the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, also featured a discussion with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and past Israeli President Ehud Olmert. At the event, Clinton focused heavily on ties between the US and Jewish state, saying, What threatens Israel threatens America, and what strengthens Israel

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hungarians-rally-against-nazism-spurred-by-jobbik-comments-video/11901 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Budapest yesterday, as part of an anti-Nazi rally spurred by a politicians call to screen the nations Jews. Jobbik member Marton Gyongyosi said last week that Hungary should assess how many people of Jewish origin there are here, and especially in the Hungarian parliament and the Hungarian government, who represent a certain national security risk. Gyongyosi apologized later to our Jewish compatriots, but said Hungary should

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-reacts-to-palestine-s-un-status-bibi-says-abbas-speech-venomous/11876 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 With yesterdays United Nations vote upgrading Palestines member status, Israeli officials are now faced with how to move forward in potential peace negotiations. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spoke to the General Assembly ahead of the vote, accusing the Jewish state of aggression and occupation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the remarks, slamming what he called a venomous address. The world watched a defamatory

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-reacts-to-palestine-upgrade-in-un/11874 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 This evening's United Nations vote to elevate Palestine's member status has already been met with displeasure in the US, which was one of only nine nations to vote against the measure. The 138 to nine result, with 41 abstentions, was called "unfortunate and counterproductive" by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She added that "only through direct negotiations between the parties can the Palestinians and Israelis achieve the peace that both deserve: two states for two people, with a sovereign, viable and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/gop-senators-propose-penalties-for-enhanced-palestinian-status/11871 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Republican US senators introduced the first efforts to penalize the Palestinians and the United Nations should the body affirm enhanced Palestinian status. Language proposed this week as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would cut assistance to the Palestinians by 50 percent and US fees to the United Nations by the same amount should the effort by the Palestinians to gain recognition as a non-member observer state succeed in the General Assembly. It also would cut by 20 percent US aid to any

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bibi-to-un-jewish-connection-to-israel-cannot-be-severed-video/11863 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The Jewish connection to Israel cannot be severed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today. The remarks came as the UN General Assembly prepares to vote on an elevated status bid for Palestine, which is expected to pass today. Israel is prepared to live in peace with a Palestinian state, but for peace to endure, Israels security must be protected, Bibi said at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. The Palestinians must recognize the Jewish state and they must be prepared to end the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/as-barak-leaves-politics-questions-remain-about-his-legacy-and-future/11854 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Is Ehud Barak a calculating political survivor or a military man who, in his own words, never had any special desire for political life? Will he be remembered as a warrior or as a seeker of peace? And what will he do next? Baraks announcement of his retirement from politics on Monday raised more questions than answers, both about what his departure means for Israel and how Israelis will look back on his legacy. I have exhausted the practice of politics, Barak, Israel's defense

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/americans-for-peace-now-calls-on-us-to-back-palestine-un-bid/11842 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Americans for Peace Now is calling on the Obama administration to back Palestines bid for elevated UN status, which goes to a vote tomorrow. The leftist group, which styles itself as pro-Israeli but is often criticized by others in the Jewish community, wrote an open letter urging the US to put its support behind the motion. The US has been a leading voice against the bid, which would see Palestine elevated from a permanent observer status to a non-member observer state, which yields more

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/moshe-ya-alon-israel-should-continue-on-the-offensive/11830 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Following the military and political maneuvering of Operation Pillar of Defense, Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon advocated continuing an offensive strategy as the Jewish State enters elections and Palestine pursues its UN statehood bid. The Head of Homeland Security and former Chief of Staff of the IDF spoke today to a group of Jewish National Fund donors in a special briefing on the situation in the Middle East. Addressing everything from the recent escalation to the Iranian threat, Ya'alon called for

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hungarian-jobbik-leader-says-jews-a-risk-calls-for-jewish-registry/11824 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Hungarian politician is facing a backlash after calling Jews a national security risk and suggesting a registry list of all Jewish citizens living in the nation. Marton Gyongyosi is a member of the Jobbik party, which has received heat in recent months for similarly anti-Semitic comments. Many in the Jewish community categorize Jobbik as a neo Nazi group. "I know how many people with Hungarian ancestry live in Israel, and how many Israeli Jews live in Hungary," Gyongyosi, Jobbiks deputy

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/tzipi-livni-announces-new-movement-party-ahead-of-elections/11823 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Tzipi Livni announced today the formation of a new political party, after weeks of speculation over what the former foreign ministers Knesset plans would be. Livni, who previously held the post of Kadima head before an ousting by Shaul Mofaz, was rumored to be planning a political resurgence for Januarys Knesset elections. Livni, 54, took a sabbatical from the politics game this past spring, and many believed she would re-join a leftist group like her former Kadima, Labor, or Yair Lapids new

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/turkey-israel-resume-reconciliation-talks/11805 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israel and Turkey resumed informal reconciliation talks. Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, confirmed to CNN on Sunday reports that the two countries were discussing how to repair the relationship between the governments that broke down over Israel's raid on the Mavi Marmara ship. Nine Turkish citizens died when Israeli Navy commandoes boarded the Mavi Marmara, which claimed to be carrying humanitarian aid, on May 31, 2010 after warning the ship not to sail into waters near the Gaza Strip in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/christian-group-congressmen-petition-for-hamas-twitter-removal/11802 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Christian group in the US has joined calls for Twitter to ban the terrorist group Hamas from the social media site. Christians United for Israel released a statement saying, "When it comes to Israel's military campaign, there is little that we here in America can do to help. But when it comes to this second conflict - the so-called 'twitter war' - there is something important we can do." The Hamas Twitter handle, @AlqassamBrigade, was petitioned last week by a group of seven Congressmen and women as well, who

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ehud-barak-says-he-s-quitting-politics/11801 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he is leaving politics after more than half a century and will not run in the upcoming elections. Barak made the surprise announcement Monday, less than a week after Israel's military ended its Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza, for which he has received accolades for his successful leadership. He said he would leave the government after the January elections. Barak, of the Independence Party, has been courted recently by left-wing and center-left parties to join with

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/11-26-12-round-up-am-edition/11799 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Canadian Jews are seeking a public apology after a popular radio host indulged in an anti-Semitic rant on his program. [Israel National News] There is a new trend of Jewish conversion among some Polish people that have discovered Jewish roots hidden because of post WWII fears. [Tablet] Yonasan Schwartz, the owner of Toys to Discover in Borough Park, donated $10,000 worth of toys to children who were victims of Hurricane Sandy. [Jewish Press] Germanys lower house of Parliament began the debate today over

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/merkel-pledges-support-to-jewish-community-israel/11798 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has renewed her pledge to stand up for Jewish life in Germany and for Israel's right to self-defense. Sunday night's address was the first time that any German chancellor had visited the annual assembly of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. Sharing the podium with Central Council President Dieter Graumann, Merkel reiterated her longtime commitment to Israel's security, which she had stated during the recent Gaza conflict. She said it was not only Israel's right but its duty

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/4-in-5-say-israel-lost-gaza-mission-bibi-s-performance-rated-low/11775 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Only a fifth of Israelis think Israel "won" the operation in Gaza, according to a public opinion poll published yesterday. The survey, conducted by Israel's Channel 2 network, also found that only 38 percent felt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's performance in the Hamas offensive was "good." Twenty-eight responded to the survey by saying Bibi's performance was "not good" overall. Defense Minister Ehud Barak also faced tough numbers, though he eked out a 40 percent rating of "good," with 25 percent saying

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/tony-blair-s-influence-on-operation-pillar-of-defense/11773 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Tony Blairs name has been passed around in the press lately in regards to the conflict in Gaza, though the past British prime minister does not actually hold any governing power with an Israeli allied nation. Blairs position is unique, as the declared Middle East envoy to the Middle East on behalf of the UN, European Union, US and Russia. The four bodies combined make up the Quartet, a union established in 2002 as a tool to foster Mid East peace. Blair is the current representative of the Quartet,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/operation-pillar-of-defense-lessons-learned/11758 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 As Israel and Hamas mostly stilled their guns Wednesday night after reaching a cease-fire agreement, ending eight days of intense bombardment, both sides took home some new lessons about their foes. By firing longer-range rockets capable of reaching Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Hamas demonstrated for the first time that it could expand the borders of the missile battleground to include the densely populated center of Israel. Even under severe aerial bombardment, Hamas managed to launch some 1,500 missiles over the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israelis-object-to-ceasefire-netanyahu-argues-for-peace/11753 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a press conference with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman to discuss the ceasefire agreement just minutes before it was to go into effect. The Prime Minister reflected on Operation Pillar of Defense, saying, All this was done with the firm support of leaders of the international community. He thanked US President Barack Obama for his enduring support of Israels right to self-defense and continuing

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hillary-clinton-lands-in-israel-advocates-for-ceasefire/11743 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton landed in Israel this evening, and immediately convened a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Thanking Secretary Clinton for her support, Netanyahu noted that Hamas looks to maximize the number of civilian casualties. No country can accept a wanton attack on its civilians. He said Israel was prepared to take whatever action necessary, adding, I know this is not something I have to explain to America. For

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/poll-shows-iran-as-top-second-term-priority-for-obama/11740 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Americans cited keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon among the top three priorities of President Obama's second term, according to a Gallup poll. Gallup asked respondents to rank 12 issues as "extremely," "very," "somewhat," "not too," and "not at all" important. The top three ranked were: taking "major steps to restore a strong economy and job market," with 95 percent of respondents ranking it as "extremely" or "very" important; taking "major steps to ensure the long-term stability of Social Security

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/canadian-lawmaker-calls-for-recognition-of-jewish-refugees/11640 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Canadian lawmaker has proposed a motion in the country's Parliament calling for formal government recognition of some 850,000 Jews forcibly displaced from Arab lands since Israel's creation in 1948. In his Nov. 8 motion, Liberal Parly lawmaker Irwin Cotler, a former Canadian justice minister, noted that by rejecting the United Nation's Partition Resolution of 1947-1948, Arab states "launched their double aggression of a war against the nascent Jewish state and assaults on their own Jewish nationals, resulting

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/filner-elected-san-diego-mayor/11604 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 U.S. Rep. Bob Filner was elected the mayor of San Diego. Filner (D-Calif.), who is Jewish, won 51.5 percent of the vote on Tuesday to edge his Republican opponent, City Councilman Carl DeMaio, who had 48.5 percent. DeMaio conceded to Filner on Wednesday. Filner, 70, will be leaving the House of Representatives after serving 10 years; he is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He will be the first Democrat in 20 years to serve as mayor of San Diego, America's eighth most-populated city. A veteran

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/gabby-giffords-faces-shooter-loughner-gets-7-life-sentences/11588 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Gabby Giffords told her attacker she was done thinking of [him], during a sentencing today for the infamous Arizona shooter. Jared Loughner, 24, received seven life sentences plus an extra 140 years in prison in lieu of the death penalty for his shooting spree last year. He killed six and wounded 13, including the Congresswoman that has become a symbol of heroism for many Americans. Giffords, Arizonas first Jewish Congresswoman, was shot in the head and paralyzed partially after the attack,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/carmen-warschaw-calif-democratic-leader-and-philanthropist-dies/11579 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Carmen Warschaw, a national and California state Democratic leader and philanthropist, has died. Warschaw died on Election Day, Nov. 6, in Los Angeles of natural causes. She was 95. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) paid tribute to her longtime friend as a force in the Democratic Party, both in California and on the national stage" where she was a member of the Democratic National Committee. Carmen was a historical figure in the California Democratic Party and a passionate supporter of Jewish

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/blair-to-bibi-obama-reelection-opportunity-for-palestine-peace-video/11576 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Tony Blair has called President Obamas reelection a great opportunity for a Palestinian peace deal, during a sit down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday. Blair was in Israel as part of the international quartet for the Middle East, an envoy the past-British prime minister has worked with since 2007. First of all, I think the single most important thing now, that President Obama has been reelected, I think this gives us a great opportunity actually to re-energize

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/11-08-12-round-up-am-edition/11575 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has notified the High Court of Justice that he will decide whether to indict Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman within a month. [Globes] As President Barack Obama has won a second term, the table is now set for new negotiations with Iran. [Jewish Journal] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Ehud Olmerts comment that he preferred Mitt Romney by saying he wouldnt allow those trying to instigate strife get away with

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/moshe-kantor-reelected-head-of-european-jewish-congress/11573 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Moshe Kantor has been reelected president of the European Jewish Congress, a post he has held since 2006. Kantor, 59, will continue his work spearheading anti-Semitism education, Holocaust awareness, and general Jewish community outreach across the continent. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved over the last few years, Kantor said today. The voice of European Jewry is clearly visible in a united Europe, whose political weight is felt throughout the world. We cannot

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/11-07-12-round-up-pm-edition/11572 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The election has not put an end to debate on how and why the Jewish vote went the way it did. [Times of Israel] Is Sheldon Adelson the election's biggest loser? [Tablet] Israel officials are appealing Olmert's corruption conviction. [Times of Israel] A man who was once thought to be the killer of Eitan Patz has been re-arrested, just after his release from prison. [Reuters] The "Ten Commandments Judge" is back in Alabama. [Reuters] Some Israeli MK's are considering putting legal marijuana to the test,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-makeup-of-the-113th-congress/11571 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Four new Jewish Representatives entered the House last night, while four Senators up for reelection retained their seats for a new term. Combined with the Congressmen and women who werent on the ballot this year, that brings the tally to 11 Jews in Senate and 22 in the House of Representatives. Democrats Bill Schneider, Alan Lowenthal, Lois Frankel, and Alan Grayson were each elected to the House, in Illinois, California, and the last two in Florida, respectively. Grayson has served as a Representative

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-groups-send-obama-congratulations/11569 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Jewish groups gave congratulations to the president this morning, wishing Barack Obama well in his second term and urging a bipartisan approach for the next four years. The entire world witnessed again a cardinal foundation of American democracy, free elections, and the eagerness of citizens across the country to cast their votes, said AJC Executive Director David Harris. We wish President Obama every success in his second term, and salute Governor Romney for his record of public service and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/naftali-bennett-elected-jewish-home-party-head/11568 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israel's national religious Jewish Home party (Habayit Hayehudi) elected newcomer Naftali Bennett as its leader. Bennett defeated party stalwart Zevulun Orlev for the party leadership with about 67 percent of the vote. Primaries were held for the party leadership on Tuesday, the same day as elections in the United States. Nearkly 54,000 party members were eligible to vote. The party is part of the governing coalition and has three Knesset seats. Bennett, a resident of the Tel Aviv suburb of Raanana, served as

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-what-to-expect-from-barack-obama-on-jewish-foreign-policy-issues/11567 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. The election is over and the incumbent President Barack Obama has come out victorious. This should come as a huge relief to those Jews who are basing their vote on foreign policy. As stated in previous articles, Massachusetts

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-earns-70-of-jewish-vote-sides-argue-over-gain-vs-loss/11562 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Jewish groups are already analyzing data from last nights election, as a reported 69 to 70 percent of Jewish voters cast their ballot for President Obama. That figure is based on exit polls and shows a decrease from 2008s exit poll, when Obama took 78 percent of the Jewish vote. The Republican Jewish Coalition pointed to what it called an erosion in the traditionally Democrat-controlled Jewish demographic. The trend in the Jewish community is unmistakable. In five of the last

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-leaders-congratulate-president-obama-on-victory-video/11557 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 As results were still coming in on the US election last night, Israeli leaders were waking up to the news that President Barack Obama will have four more years in the White House. It was an announcement met with general applause, though several Knesset members cautioned tighter diplomacy is needed in continuing the US-Israeli relationship. Most eyes, however, were trained on how Israeli Prime Minisiter Benjamin Netanyahu would react. Obama and Netanyahu maintain a close alliance, though media reports have

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/11-07-12-round-up-am-edition/11556 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 The Arab response to Barack Obama is one of congratulations and expectations that Arab interests will be furthered. [Times of Israel] Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair sees Obamas victory as an opening for new Middle East peace talks. [YNet] After the election, Jewish organizations are now focusing on the fiscal troubles that the United States faces. [JPost] Some Jewish think tanks are concerned that the 70 percent of Jewish Americans who voted for Obama illustrate a disconnect between American

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/11-06-12-round-up-pm-edition/11554 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Rahm Emmanuel predicts strong ties with Israel over the next four years, in a potential Obama second term. [Times of Israel] How important is the Jewish vote? [Algemeiner] Israeli MK's take sides in the US election. [Jerusalem Post] How a Jewish statistician changed the way polling looks. [Tablet] Israel is becoming a leader in medical marijuana research. [Algemeiner] Israel considers funding punishment against Palestine for its continued UN bid. [Reuters] A synagogue in Louisiana has cut ties with the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/sandy-affected-voters-in-n-y-n-j-can-choose-polling-place/11542 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Voters in New York and New Jersey affected by superstorm Sandy will be permitted to vote at any polling place in their respective states using a provisional ballot. Just because youre displaced doesnt mean you should be disenfranchised, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday, a day before Americans went to the polls to pick their next president. Some polling places were completely unusable due to the storm, and some voters had sought shelter far from their polling places. President

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-nearly-bombed-iran-in-2010-report-alleges/11541 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israel came closer than ever to an attack on Iran in 2010, a news report alleges. Israels Channel 2 program Uvda aired a segment featuring information from anonymous officials as well as interviews with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. In the piece, it is alleged that Netanyahu and Barak went to security officials at the end of 2010 to raise Israels attack level to P Plus, code for in preparation to strike. The IDFs then-head Gabi Ashkenazi and then-Mossad

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/likud-s-kahlon-looking-strong-in-polls-says-he-ll-take-a-break-from-politics/11531 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Moshe Kahlon, a government minister from the Likud Party, said he would not establish a new party, despite high polling numbers. Kahlon, the outgoing communications minister, said Saturday night that he would take a break from politics, as he announced last month, and would support Likud and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections. "I will not run for the 19th Knesset, and I am firm in my decision," Kahlon said. "Likud is my home, my political and social home. In the coming elections, I will

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-groups-amp-up-political-ads-ahead-of-vote-video/11528 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 With just hours to go until Election Day, Jewish groups on both sides of the aisle are amping up efforts to encourage constituents to vote. The Republican Jewish Coalition and the National Jewish Democratic Council have both released a slew of video ads endorsing respective candidates Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama in recent days. On the Republican side, the RJC highlights past Democratic voters who are now turning to Romney, pointing to the economy and a perceived lessening in relations between

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/adl-slams-arab-world-s-anti-semitic-portrayal-of-us-election/11523 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The Arab and Persian world is portraying the US election as pandering toward the Jewish vote, the ADL said last week. The group released a report Thursday profiling the political cartoons of a slew of newspapers from countries like Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Syria. An anti-Semitic, anti-Israel bias can be seen in the images, which depict President Barack Obama and GOP candidate Mitt Romney as kowtowers to Benjamin Netanyahu. Several of the cartoons also suggest the Jewish community controls American politics

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/11-05-12-round-up-am-edition/11522 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced concerns over Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas comments regarding the right of return for Arabs in Israel. [Reuters] The Palestinian Authority plans to move ahead with its bid to upgrade its U.N. status to observer state, despite pleas from Israel to stop. [JPost] The Iron Dome anti-rocket system has successfully completed tests designed to improve its capability in protecting against long-range missiles targeting Israel. [Algemeiner] The

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/governor-romney-answers-ajc-survey-on-international-issues/11515 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The American Jewish Committee recently released a survey in which each presidential candidate was asked to answer various questions on their prospective courses of action regarding certain international issues. This is the second article of a two-part series reviewing their answers directly relating to Iran and Israel. Yesterday Jspace covered the answers of incumbent President Barack Obama, and today will focus on Governor Mitt Romney. Governor Romney has talked tough on Iran, but the crux of his policy on how

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/as-golden-dawn-gains-popularity-greek-jews-strategize-on-how-to-combat-neo-nazi-party/11503 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 For every Jew who lives in Greece, there are about 100 Greeks who voted for the countrys neo-Nazi party, Golden Dawn, last spring. The party now controls 18 seats in Greeces 300-member parliament, and its popularity is rising rapidly: A poll taken in October showed that if elections were held again today, Golden Dawn would capture 14 percent of the vote, making it Greeces third-largest party. A September poll showed that 22 percent of Greeks have positive views of Golden Dawn, up from 12

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/president-obama-answers-ajc-survey-on-international-issues/11497 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The U.S. presidential election is only a few days away, and there are still thousands of voters trying to pick a candidate. To aid undecided voters, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) produced a very clear survey in which each candidate was asked to answer various questions on their prospective courses of action regarding certain international issues. This article will review the questions directly relating to Iran and Israel, and will focus on the answers of incumbent President Barack Obama. Governor Mitt

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/likud-minister-moshe-kahlon-thinking-about-new-party/11495 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Likud government minister who said two weeks ago that he is quitting politics is deciding whether to establish a new party. Polls show a new party headed by outgoing Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon garnering up to 20 Knesset seats in new elections. Kahlon said he will decide in the next week whether to establish his own party. A Kahlon-led party would likely support Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister, but would oppose his social and economic policies, according to Haaretz. During the recent Likud

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jimmy-carter-backs-anti-israel-motion-by-christian-clerics/11494 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Jimmy Carter has endorsed an anti-Israel motion put forward by a coalition of Christian leaders. Last month, a group of 15 Christian clerics wrote a letter to Congress, urging for an investigation into the Jewish states human rights record. The letter also questioned whether the US should provide military funding for Israel. The letter drew condemnation from Jewish leaders and prompted many Jewish groups to pull out of an annual interfaith conference. Now, Carter has backed the original letter, both

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ny-mayor-bloomberg-gives-endorsement-to-obama/11491 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg made headlines today, and it had nothing to do with disaster relief. Bloomberg published an op-ed piece in Bloomberg News, giving his endorsement for President Barack Obama. The move came after months of the independent mayor deriding both Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney, refusing to back either candidate. Bloombergs tune changed, however, thanks to a new perspective on climate change and the politics it brings. As the Jewish mayor wrote today, The devastation

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/this-is-your-grandfather-s-youtube-video/11490 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 In a new attempt at a viral video, young adults are exhorted to call their Zaydes. This isnt a social call, however (although when was the last time you rang just to say hello?). No, this call is to beg him (and anyone else his age) to vote for Barack Obama for president. Released by the Jewish Council for Education and Researchs SchlepLabs, the same political advertising studio behind such gems as An Indecent Proposal from Sarah Silverman and Wake the F**k Up! starring

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/11-1-12-round-up-am-edition/11482 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Francois Hollande, the President of France, has promised to fight terrorism and anti-Semitism in a ceremony paying homage to the four people killed at a Jewish school in a terrorist attack. [Washington Post] Jews in Las Vegas have trouble decided who to vote for, largely due to Sheldon Adelsons constant barrage of ads in support of candidate Mitt Romney for his stance on Israel. [Forward] Jerusalems municipality is undertaking a project to name all of the streets in East Jerusalem, which as of now

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-meets-hollande-in-france-visits-toulouse-tomorrow/11474 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Toulouse tomorrow, to visit for the first time the site of Marchs Jewish day school killings. The visit comes as Netanyahu spends some time in France, as part of diplomatic meetings with French President Francois Hollande. Today, the two leaders met to discuss sanctions on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. For his part, Netanyahu praised Hollandes sanctions efforts so far, saying, The sanctions are taking a bite out of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jspace-exclusive-interview-jewish-presidential-candidate-jill-stein/11463 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Recently, Jspace had the chance to ask Green Party Presidential candidate Jill Stein how she connects her Judaism to environmental politics, and why young Jews should be concerned about building a sustainable future. Dr. Stein, a pioneering environmental health advocate, is the author of two books, In Harm's Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development and Environmental Threats to Healthy Aging. In addition, she developed the "Healthy People, Healthy Planet" series, which is used by

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/european-jewish-association-calls-for-protection-of-ukrainian-jews/11451 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The head of the European Jewish Association has called on the Ukrainian government to ensure the safety of the country's Jews in the wake of the election to parliament of an anti-Semitic party. "We are not presuming of course, to interfere in internal Ukraine affairs and its voters' decisions, however we are very concerned about the safety of Ukrainian Jews and are seeking to prevent expansion of anti-Semitism in Europe," Rabbi Menachem Margolin said in a statement. On Oct. 28, ultranationalist Svoboda Party, or

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/adelsons-give-another-10-million-to-super-pac-supporting-romney/11441 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, for a second time have given $10 million to a super PAC supporting Mitt Romney. The donation to Restore Our Future came in during the first half of October, Federal Elections Commission filings show, according to reports. On Oct. 25, the Adelsons said they made their second donation to the super PAC to "help level the playing field." Late last month, billionaire George Soros pledged $1 million to a Super PAC supporting President Obama. The Adelsons have given

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/20-rockets-fired-on-israel-from-gaza/11438 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 An estimated 20 rockets have been fired into southern Israel from Gaza over the last 24 hours. The al-Qassam Brigade, a militant wing of Hamas, took responsibility for the missiles, which came after three long-range rockets hit Beersheba. The attack ended an unofficial ceasefire brokered last week via Egypt. Hamas sent some 80 missiles into Israel early last week. Gaza routinely fires on Israel, but the numbers of recent days are an increase over typical averages. The IDF reported 150 Hamas-fired rockets this

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/anti-semitic-political-party-makes-gains-in-ukrainian-elections/11434 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Ukrainian ultranationalist Svoboda Party has made unprecedented gains in the countrys parliamentary elections, where it garnered 12 percent of the vote. Svoboda -- or Freedom Party has gained a reputation as an anti-Semitic movement due to anti-Jewish statements by its leaders. Sundays vote means the party can now control a faction in parliament for the first time, according to exit polls. The party won less than one percent of the vote in the last election in 2007. Party leader Oleg

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-chief-of-staff-head-lands-in-israel-oversees-austere/11433 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Martin Dempsey has landed in Israel, to oversee a joint training drill currently running between the US and the Jewish state. Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived Sunday to check in on Operation Austere, an aerial exercise in which 3,500 US troops are currently engaging with 1,000 IDF soldiers. The exercise launched early last week and is the largest ever of its kind. Monday, Dempsey met with IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak. He will meet with President

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rabin-s-assassination-remembered-in-knesset/11429 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israelis are already honoring the memory of Yitzhak Rabin, just days ahead of the anniversary of the past prime minister's assassination. During a cabinet meeting over the weekend, Benjamin Netanyahu said of the November 4, 1995 murder, "It will be etched in Jewish history along with other traumatic events." "This murder also obliges us to safeguard Israel's democracy, to defend freedom of speech and to strongly reject all displays of violence," he added. The cabinet meeting opened with a moment of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-26-12-round-up-pm-edition/11421 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Polls shows opposition to the new Likud-Beiteinu party. [Times of Israel] Obama opens up about his Israel absence over the last four years. [Times of Israel] The UK says it opposes a strike on Iran "at this moment." [Jerusalem Post] A report criticizes Norway for a rise in anti-Semitism. [Algemeiner] The Negev is a top travel destination according to Lonely Planet. [Algemeiner] The family of last night's Upper West Side nanny murder may be Jewish. [Forward] The politics behind Tel Aviv's fashion week.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-analyzing-the-new-likud-beiteinu-merger/11415 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced that their respective parties, Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu, would be merging to form one mega-partyfor the upcoming election.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/livni-and-yachimovich-planning-joint-run/11410 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Rumors are swirling that Tzipi Livni and Shelly Yachimovich have plans to run on the same ticket in the upcoming Israeli elections. The news came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to merge his Likud Party with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermans Yisrael Beiteinu. The two leadersLivni is the past chairman of the Kadima Party and Yachimovich is the current head of the Labor Partyhave each at one time or another played Opposition Leader to Netanyahus

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-26-12-round-up-am-edition/11405 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Jewish groups are angered at the absence of an Israeli flag at a diversity festival. [Copenhagen Post] Jews seem split on Tim Tebow. [Gothamist] A Chicago woman reports a swastika carved into her car. [Patch] The Jewish Agency will give NIS 40 million to help the Israeli government fortify homes near Gaza. [Jerusalem Post] Tzipi Livni and Shelly Yachimovich are in talks to run under one ticket in the Knesset's January election. [Ynet] A British politician has apologized after publicly asking, "What good

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/protocols-of-the-elders-of-zion-read-aloud-in-greek-parliament/11404 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A lawmaker for Greece's neo-Nazi Golden Dawn Party has reportedly read out in parliament a passage from the anti-Semitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Ilias Kasidiaris, a spokesperson for Golden Dawn, read out Protocol 19 from the book: "In order to destroy the prestige of heroism we shall send them for trial in the category of theft, murder and every kind of abominable and filthy crime," according to Panayote Dimitras of the Greek Helsinki Monitor. Kasidiaris was addressing parliament Oct. 23 at

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-25-12-round-up-pm-edition-video/11401 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Iran has nearly finished its centrifuges, a new report alleges. [Reuters] How Jack Lew observes Shabbat in the White House. [Forward] Tablet doesn't buy the Jews for Tebow conspiracy. [Tablet] The IDF explains the success of the Iron Dome. [Algemeiner] Lena Dunham wants your first time (voting) to be with someone special. [Jewcy] The daughter of one of "Schindler's Jews" claims she was a target for anti-Semitism. [Times of Israel] NBA head David Stern announces plans to step down. [Fox Sports]

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/colombian-pres-receives-shalom-award-promotes-israel-as-jewish-state/11398 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The president of Colombia received the Shalom Award for peace this week, as he urged the world to recognize Israel as a state for the Jewish people. Both the people here and the people in Israel have been seeking peace for decades, Juan Manuel Santos said, as he was handed the prize by the World Jewish Congress on Tuesday. WJC President Ronald Lauder and Latin American Jewish Congress President Jack Terpins were present at the Bogota ceremony. Santos promised at the event to continue to seek an

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-s-likud-joins-with-yisrael-beiteinu-party/11395 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today his political party would merge with another. Netanyahus Likud will join with Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. As part of the agreement, Lieberman will take the number two spot in the party. "This is the time to show strength to our enemies and unity among us," Netanyahu said. The new political group, called Likud Beiteinu, will make the largest party in the Knesset. As it stands, Netanyahus Likud holds 27 seats,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-debate-of-political-party-heads-waiting-for-bibi-s-answer/11369 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Leaders of Israel's major political parties accepted an invitation to an American-style debate, except for Likud leader and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The debate sponsored by the Citizens' Empowerment Center is scheduled for Jan. 1 at Tel Aviv University, according to the organization's website. "We all -- left and right, religious and secular, Jews and Arabs -- have a clear interest in knowing exactly who we choose and why," the Citizens' Empowerment Center said on its website. "Are you sure you do know

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/member-of-european-parliament-denies-holocaust-on-public-tv/11367 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A member of European Parliament has denied the Holocaust on public television. Corneliu Vadim Tudor of Romania made the remark on the Romania a la Raport talk show October 18, saying, In Romania there was never a Holocaust. He added: I will deny it till I die because I love my people. Tudor is the head if the Greater Romania Party. Within the European Parliament, he is a member of the Committee on Culture and Education and the Delegation to the European Union-Turkey

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-23-12-round-up-pm-edition/11355 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Olympic medalist Arik Ze'evi retires from judo. [Yahoo] Knesset leaders agree to an American-style debate in lead up to elections--all except Benjamin Netanyahu. [Times of Israel] Celebrate Israeli Legitimacy Month. [The Daily Beast] Shabbat can help slow kids down--in a good way. [Tablet] A gefilte fish throw down. [Forward] Polls still show Obama ahead in the Jewish vote. [Algemeiner] A large majority--97 percent--of college campuses report no anti-Semitism. [Jerusalem Post]

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-romney-scratches-on-israel-in-the-final-presidential-debate/11354 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. There isnt much debate (pun intended) over the fact that last nights foreign policy presidential debate was won by the current Commander-in-Chief, President Barack Obama. When it came to Americas role in the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/carter-meets-with-peres-warns-2-state-solution-growing-impossible/11348 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Past US President Jimmy Carter met with Israeli President Shimon Peres Monday, sharing his dismay that the Palestinian peace process has been stalled for two years. Carter, who famously pushed for a two-state solution during his tenure in the White House, told Peres that a catastrophic one-state solution might be the only option left. We are heading towards a one-state outcome, which will fail to ensure the security and democratic rights of the people of Israel and renege on the promise of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/qatar-emir-breaks-gaza-blockade-on-diplomatic-visit-to-hamas/11345 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The Emir of Qatar met with Hamas today, marking the first time a diplomat has sat with the Palestinian group since its overtake of Gaza in 2007. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani met with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh Tuesday, a move that made a political statement against the West Banks Fatah, the Palestinian party recognized by most Western nations. "You are today, by this visit, declaring the breaking of the unjust blockade," Haniyeh said in a speech this morning. "Today we declare victory

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/egypt-s-morsi-participates-in-prayer-to-destroy-jews-video/11341 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi took part in a prayer service over the weekend, mouthing amen to a call for Allah to destroy the Jews. On October 19, the new Egyptian leader attended services led by cleric Futouh Abd Al-Nabi Mansour. Morsi sat with his head bowed, listening as the spiritual leader urged God to systematically separate and annihilate the Jewish people. Oh Allah, absolve us of our sins, strengthen us, and grant us victory over the infidels, he said.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-23-12-round-up-am-edition/11339 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Benjamin Netanyahu has plans to visit the Jewish day school in Toulouse that was violently attacked last March. [Arutz Sheva] A middle school football player speaks out after being attacked for his Judaism. [WCNC] Three suspects have been named in the Jewish grave decimation in New Zealand. [TVNZ] Israel was a key topic in last night's presidential debate. [Jewish Week] Who are the greatest Jewish baseball players of all time? [Huffington Post] A look at the Ohio Jewish vote. [Forward] Arab media

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-22-12-round-up-pm-edition-video/11335 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Expect the word "Israel" to come up tonight in the third and final presidential debate. [Reuters] Meanwhile, a Romney ad features Netanyahu, again. [Algemeiner] And Rabbi Susan Silverman has produced a pro-Obama video. Guess she took a cue from sister, Sarah. [Jewish Journal of Greater LA] Charges against Ehud Halevy, the man beaten by NYPD at a Jewish center, have been dropped. [Algemeiner] The 10 best Jewish boxers of the last 40 years. [Pro Boxing Fans] And rabbis warn that the iPhone isn't kosher.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-groups-praise-ruling-against-defense-of-marriage-act/11334 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Three Jewish groups welcomed a U.S. court's decision declaring as unconstitutional the Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts the definition of marriage to that between a man and a woman. The 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals in New York handed down its decision on Oct. 18. The act was passed in 1996 by both houses of Congress by large majorities. This decision reaffirms that the principle of equal treatment means that same-sex couples are entitled to all of the federal rights, protections and benefits of civil

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bibi-to-blair-israel-will-defend-itself-against-hamas-video/11332 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israel plans to fight back against foes firing rockets on the nations residents, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Tony Blair today. Netanyahu met with Blair, the Mideast Quartet special envoy, to discuss tensions in the Middle East. The sit down came as the IDF targeted two northern Gaza launching squads, which killed two Palestinians. Hamas claimed one of the individuals, and Islamic jihad claimed the other. IDF officials said the strike was in response to fire launched at Israeli

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-19-12-round-up-am-edition/11290 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 An Indian court grants bail for a bomber who wounded an Israeli diplomat's wife. [Times of Israel] Masked robbers penetrated an IDF base, stole weapons, and tied up one soldier. [Times of Israel] Israel's center left is mulling its options for the Knesset elections. [Jerusalem Post] French Jews plan to sue Twitter over anti-Semitic tweets. [AFP] Germany is considering a revamped Holocaust education schedule. [Forward] Are Scottish Jews a dying breed? [Haaretz] "Driving Miss Daisy" playwright has a new

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/egypt-denies-validity-of-letter-to-peres-again-video/11283 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A letter delivered to Israeli President Shimon Peres, presumably from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, is being called a Zionist fabrication from Muslim Brotherhood representatives. At a Wednesday meeting at the presidents Jerusalem home, now Egyptian Ambassador Aref Salem delivered the letter in person. The note was signed by Morsi and was dated July 19. Great and good friend, Morsi wrote in the letter, being desirous of maintaining and strengthening the cordial relations

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hannah-rosenthal-us-envoy-against-anti-semitism-stepping-down/11270 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Hannah Rosenthal didnt just fight anti-Semitismshe wrote the definition. Rosenthal, the state departments anti-Semitism monitor for the last three years, resigned from the post earlier this month. During her tenure, she helped identify rising anti-Jewish sentiment in Europe, brought Muslim leaders into the fold of Holocaust education, and put together a streamlined definition of what anti-Semitism actually means. That definition, thanks to Rosenthal, can be conveniently printed on an 8 by 10

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-17-12-round-up-pm-edition/11264 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Gilad Shalit's first TV interview aired in its entirety today in Israel. [Times of Israel] Poland's Jewish Museum is nearing completion. [Wall Street Journal] Jewish points of view at last night's debate. [Forward] Kofi Annan says to secure peace, one must talk to terrorists. [Times of Israel] A Maryland Jewish museum will host GefilteFest this weekend. [Baltimore Sun] A protest is planned on behalf of the Jewish man beaten by NYPD last week. [Algemeiner] A new novel focuses on Jews--and eating.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bibi-to-eu-we-will-strike-syria-if-hezbollah-is-chemically-armed/11249 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would consider military action if he suspected Syrian chemical weapons were to be used by terrorist groups like Hezbollah. The remarks came during a Tuesday meeting with European Union ambassadors. In the sit down, Netanyahu reiterated his belief that Syria and Bashar Assad were using help from Hezbollah and Iran to continue the civil war. The connection was a pointed one, as the EU continually refuses to mark Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Israel

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/election-2012-how-the-pro-israel-student-votes/11248 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 As college students prepare to hit the polls on November 6 - many for the first time - they will be considering a broad array of policy issues and party platforms. What drives young people to vote? How do they consider various issues? Does Israel play a role in the choices they make on election day? Israel Campus Beat interviewed pro-Israel students on campuses across the country to gauge the impact their support for Israel has on how they are preparing for Election Day. Excerpts from those interviews can be seen

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/green-party-candidates-arrested-outside-debate-video/11247 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 While Obama and Romney went head to head at Hofstra University last night, another scene was unfolding just outside its doors. Green Party candidate Jill Stein and her running mate Cheri Honkala were arrested after trying to forcibly enter the debate hall, citing a duty to the American people to let a third party voice be heard. The pair was released early this morning. They will appear in court November 8 on disorderly conduct charges. A statement from the Jewish candidates campaign said the women "are

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/romney-blames-obama-for-daylight-with-israel-in-second-debate/11245 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Mitt Romney accused President Obama of putting "daylight between us and Israel" in the second presidential debate. Responding to Obama's pledge to investigate the circumstances of an attack that killed four US diplomats in Libya last month, Romney assailed Obama's overall foreign policy record, and pivoted to the president's at-times strained relationship with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "This calls into question the presidents whole policy in the Middle East. Look

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-17-12-round-up-am-edition/11243 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Israels state archivist keeps Viennas Jewish archives in Israel despite Austrias Jewish community bringing legal action to get them back. [JPost] Women arrested at Western Wall for wearing traditional talitot. [Jewish Week] Ehud Halevy, who was beaten by cops on Ocober 8, will fight charges of felony assault of a police officer. [NY Daily News] This is why Israel is such a large point of contention in US politics and the Presidential election. [Washington Post] Thoufeek Zakriya, an Indian

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-s-state-prosecutor-to-appeal-olmert-acquittals/11237 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israel's state prosecutor will appeal the acquittals of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in two of three cases decided earlier this year. The prosecutor informed Olmert's attorney on Tuesday that it will appeal the July acquittals on charges of fraud, breach of trust, tax evasion and falsifying corporate records in what became known as the Talansky and Rishon Tours affairs, according to the Justice Ministry. His sentence in the Investment Center Affair, in which the Jerusalem District Court found Olmert guilty

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/uk-s-cameron-to-bibi-we-won-t-tolerate-nuclear-iran/11235 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 UK Prime Minister David Cameron met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, indicating that he would not tolerate a nuclear Iran. Cameron revealed details from the exchange at the annual United Jewish Israel Appeal dinner last night. I have said to Prime Minister Netanyahu that now is not the time for Israel to resort to military action, Cameron said. Beyond the unpredictable dangers inherent in any conflict, the other reason is this: at the very moment when the regime faces

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/deri-reinstated-as-shas-party-chief/11234 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Aryeh Deri, who resigned as head of the Sephardi haredi Orthodox Shas Party 13 years ago, was reinstated by the party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, according to reports. Deri would take the party chairmanship from Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who has served in the top party position for more than a decade. Yishai reportedly has been promised the most senior ministerial position should Shas join the next government. Yishais office responded to the report by saying that "nothing has changed, we

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-ex-president-seeks-pardon-from-rape-sentence/11229 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Former-Israeli President Moshe Katsav has officially requested a pardon for his 2011 rape conviction. Katsav, 66, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence on two counts of rape following a lengthy trial and appeal process, which first began in 2006. Katsav ultimately resigned as president, with Shimon Peres succeeding. Now, the former leader is seeking a presidential pardon from Peres, which was submitted to the Justice ministry by his wife. In the request, Katsav says he aims to clear his name and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/knesset-votes-unanimously-to-dissolve/11227 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israels 18th Knesset voted unanimously for its own dissolution early this morning, just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for early elections on January 22. The vote followed hours of discussion within parliament, as several leaders stood to address the assembly. The issue of debate was not dissolutionthe matter was supported early on as rumors of the move first surfaced. Instead, the talks offered a chance for the MKs to air grievances and set up party platforms heading into the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/adelsons-again-donate-500k-to-super-pac-supporting-boteach/11224 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife for a second time have given $500,000 to a Super PAC supporting Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's bid for Congress. The Adelsons gave the money to the Patriot Prosperity PAC, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people with knowledge of the gift, after having given the same amount earlier this year. They also gave $10,000 directly to the Boteach campaign. Boteach is running as the Republican candidate in New Jerseys 9th Congressional District against eight-term

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/grave-of-moshe-dayan-vandalized-on-anniversary-of-death/11222 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The grave of Moshe Dayan, former Israeli defense head, was vandalized this morning, exactly 31 years to the day after his death. The tombstone in Northern Israel was graffitied with the words, The minister of failure, on behalf of the fallen. The stone was also splattered with red paint. Israels defense ministry condemned the attack today, sending officials from its Unit for the Commemoration of the Soldier to restore the gravesite. Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-16-12-round-up-am-edition/11220 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The Nakba, then and now. [New York Times] Should elderly Jews still be moving to South Florida? [Forward] A Jewish man recalls how Roman nuns hid him during the Holocaust. [Catholic Culture] Jewish officials are calling for the firing of police involved in a Crown Heights beating. [New York Daily News] French Jews denounce anti-Semitic tweets on Twitter. [Bangkok Post] The Great Synagogue of Aleppo is in a state of limbo. [Times of Israel] The second presidential debate tonight is expected to include

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/roseanne-barr-to-battle-for-presidency-in-florida/11205 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Comedian Roseanne Barr doesnt see her Presidential race as a joke. And neither does Florida. The actress-turned-reality stars name has appeared among the candidates on the Florida ballot. Taking on incumbent President Barack Obama, his main rival Republican Mitt Romney, as well as Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico, and leaders of the Socialist Party and Objectivist Party, Barr hopes to be the first female President in US history. Announcing her

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-s-cabinet-approves-jan-22-election-date/11203 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israel's Cabinet officially set January 22 as the date for national elections for the 19th Knesset. The date unanimously approved by the Cabinet on Sunday likely will be approved by the full Knesset on Monday, when it is set to meet for the first day of the winter session and dissolve itself. The elections for the 19th Knesset had been scheduled originally for October 2013. The new poll will take place four years since the last election. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced last week, after

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/arlen-specter-longtime-jewish-republican-senator-dies-at-82/11198 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Arlen Specter, a Jewish Republican who later switched sides and the longest-running senator in Philadelphia, died Sunday at the age of 82 after a battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Specter was a celebrated moderate and the only Jewish Republican in the Senate by the end of his career with the GOP. He often broke with party lines, particularly on social issues like gay rights, abortion, gun control and stem cell research. His support helped President Obama ultimately pass the healthcare reform package. The

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-discomfort-and-misguidance-plague-the-subject-of-iran-at-the-vp-debate/11186 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. There were two poignant things I took from the Vice Presidential debate on the subject of Iran. First, neither candidate looked remotely comfortable speaking on whether the US was prepared to go to war with the Muslim theocracy.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/report-alleges-bibi-discussed-golan-withdrawal-with-syria-s-assad/11184 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in talks with Bashar Assad to retreat from the Golan Heights, plans that were only interrupted by the onslaught of the Syrian uprising, alleges a story by Ynet today. The article cited unnamed officials, telling a story of secret negotiations that would have seen Israel return to pre-1967 lines in the region had the Syrian unrest against Assad not broken out before the plan could be put in place. Netanyahu agreed to a full withdrawal from the Golan, to the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/predictions-on-israel-election-how-the-knesset-parties-will-shape-up/11179 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israels early election, called for January 22, is expected to lead to some major shake-ups in the Knesset. With 120 seats up for grabs, media are already speculating on what parties will end up with what numbers. Jspace has averaged together some leading polls to predict how the numbers will break down, comparing those averages to how the parties stand now. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus Likud looks to pick up three seats, up to 30 from its current 27. While not a huge change, that increase

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/report-israeli-politicians-raise-most-campaign-budgets-abroad/11178 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 More than half of all donations made to Israeli politicians campaigns over the past two years came from overseas contributors. Donations to political campaigns by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during that period amounted to $311,000, with 96.8 percent coming from outside Israel, according to Haaretz in a front page report on Friday. The paper wrote that Netanyahu received donations from several members of the Falick family from Miami, Florida. In total, the paper found that Israeli politicians raised

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/video-assailing-obama-s-israel-record-surpasses-2-million-views-video/11151 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jews and Jewish issues are burning up the presidential campaign viral video charts. The Jewish Council for Education and Research, a pro-Obama group, has had a pair of viral hits. There was Wake the F**k Up, which featured actor Samuel L. Jackson and assailed Romneys domestic policy agenda. It has been viewed millions of times (on various web pages). One recent week it was the most viewed online presidential ad. The runner up that week was an earlier video from JCER, featuring comedian Sarah

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-11-2012-round-up-am-edition/11149 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Despite what people are saying, regardless of who gets elected, Americas relationship with Israel is unlikely to change. [Foreign Policy] Gil Nadal weighs in on the EUs pending move to classify Israeli goods made in settlements as entitys not protected under the Israel-EU free-trade agreement. [Israel Hayom] Fritz Kahn, a German-Jewish doctor most known for his man as industrial palace depiction, is finally getting the recognition he deserves. [Times of Israel] In a peculiar

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-expected-to-win-in-elections-unlikely-to-change-israel-s-left-right-balance/11146 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 It wasnt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for early elections that was unusual. After all, only a few governments have served a full term in Israels 64-year history. What was unusual was that seemingly everyone on Israels political spectrum -- from left to right -- appeared to agree that there was no real contest about who would be the next prime minister. Barring any major surprises, Netanyahu is expected to win a third term handily when voting is held early next year; elections had

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-10-12-round-up-pm-edition/11145 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Billionaire David Siegel urges thousands of his Westgate employees to vote Romney, else they might lose their jobs. [AJC] A response to the swastika hashtag trend on Twitter. [Huffington Post] Shaul Mofaz considers canceling the Kadima primary. [Jerusalem Post] A Likud MK wants to bar Ehud Olmert from re-entering politics. [Times of Israel] An outgoing Hamas official says his government failed in Gaza, and should not "be taken as a model" for other countries. [Algemeiner] Mila Kunis is good for the Jews.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/olmert-may-be-primed-for-political-comeback/11137 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Reuters report Wednesday asserts Ehud Olmert may be closer than ever to staging a political comeback. The ex-Israeli prime minister faced scandal after corruption charges led to a probation sentence and $19,000 fine last month. He was accused of granting personal favors to an attorney when he acted as trade minister in 2007. The sentencing amounted to little more that a slap on the wrist, including none of the potential three-year jail sentence the judge could have doled out. In addition, the sentence left out

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/mila-kunis-is-obsessed-with-politics/11125 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Mila Kunis is a news junkie, saying she watches all day long, every day to get her fix. The "Black Swan" star is riveted by government affairs, and admits she was thrilled when CNN political anchor Wolf Blitzer invited her to be his date to the annual White House Correspondents Dinner in April. But Kunis has sworn she will never attend the annual event again, as she is convinced nothing could ever top the most incredible experience she had chatting to Blitzer all night

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-calls-for-early-elections/11120 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Benjamin Netanyahu has officially called for early elections, during a press conference today in which the Israeli prime minister pushed for a ballot as quickly as possible. "At this time, in the face of the turmoil around us, it is my obligation as prime minister to put the national interest above all," Netanyahu said. Rumors of early elections have swirled for months, but were postponed after Netanyahus short-lived super coalition was formed late last spring. Now, the Knesset will move on

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/romney-promotes-two-state-solution-criticizes-obama-on-iran-video/11115 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Governor Mitt Romney laid out a foreign policy plan Monday night, in a speech aimed at profiling the GOP candidates foreign affairs platform ahead of the election. In the lead up to his Monday address at the Virginia Military Institute, media received a transcript of Romneys planned remarks. News reports circulated that the former Massachusetts governor would work to challenge President Obamas handling of the Middle East riots last montha claim that ultimately proved true. The

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/belgian-minister-condemns-hate-campaign-against-jewish-aide/11113 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Belgian Health Minister Laurette Onkelinx has complained to police about a pamphlet naming a Jewish member of her party an "enemy of Islam." The Turkish-language pamphlet called Yves Goldstein, an associate of Onkelinx and fellow member of the Socialist Party, "an active Zionist and an enemy of Islam," Onkelinx said at a news conference on October 8. "It is a call to Jew-hatred, much like the anti-Muslim calls we hear too often," she added. "It is unacceptable and must stop immediately." Goldstein, a candidate

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/chavez-win-closes-door-for-jewish-linked-candidate/11106 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Incumbent Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was reelected last night, narrowly beating out a challenger with Jewish heritage. Henrique Capriles, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, was closely watched within the Jewish community both locally and abroad. His race to the presidency opened new conversations about the Jewish voice in Venezuela, where anti-Semitism often makes headlines. Chavez has notoriously criticized the US and Israel, and has been seen as a friend of Iran and Palestine. Some media has reported

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/stewart-vs-o-reilly-the-rumble-in-the-air-conditioned-auditorium-video/11101 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Jon Stewart and Bill OReilly sat down to a debate on Saturday, and nobody was killed in the process. In a show of pundit bipartisanship, the two television hosts took part in The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium, an hour-and-a-half long debate on the economy, healthcare and Big Bird. OReilly reached out to Israeli residents at one point, claiming the Iranian nuclear crisis could be solved with a little afterhours fraternity between Barack Obama and Benjamin

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/freedom-flotilla-launches-from-italy-set-for-gaza/11094 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A flotilla set for Gaza launched out of Italy Saturday. The Freedom Flotilla Estelle will attempt to break through blockaded Israeli waters surrounding the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to make a political statement. The blockade is in place to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas. The mission is one of a string of similar attempts that often garner widespread media coverage. In 2010, a flotilla brigade made headlines after the Mavi Marmara was boarded by IDF, resulting in the death of nine Turkish

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/barak-after-clear-the-air-meeting-with-bibi-we-see-eye-to-eye/11092 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "see eye-to-eye" on the Iran threat and US-Israel ties. Barak made his remarks in a statement Saturday night following a 90-minute meeting with Netanyahu at which they agreed to continue working together to overcome Israel's security threats, The Jerusalem Post reported. Netanyahu reportedly called in Barak for the meeting to reprimand him over recent meetings with US officials. Barak's statement said that he and Netanyahu "see

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/greek-neo-nazi-party-welcomed-into-anti-discrimination-body/11081 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A leading European body aimed at combating discrimination has accepted a representative of a Greek neo-Nazi political party. On Monday, Golden Dawn party member and lawmaker Eleni Zaroulia became a member of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, called the move an affront to concepts of equality and non-discrimination, he added. The despicable ideology of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rivlin-early-elections-likely-in-february/11074 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin has called on the Israeli parliament to disband itself and begin preparing for early elections. There can be no doubt that the decision to go to early election has been made and all the parties are preparing for elections, Army Radio and other media quoted Rivlin as saying on Thursday. It would be best if the Knesset passed a resolution to disband itself within days or even hours of the opening of its winter session on Oct. 15 instead

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/discussing-the-us-presidential-debate-jewish-style/11073 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Presidential debates test the countrys knowledge of policy matters that voters presumably use to choose the most qualified candidate to run the United States. However, as seen Wednesday night, debates can be rambling, somewhat incoherent, and largely consist of two men lying about the issues. I watched this weeks domestic policy presidential debate with Joshua Offenhartz, who spent five years working in state and federal government in Arizona. Josh, a practicing conservative Jew and former employee

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/two-conflicting-reports-blame-israel-hamas-for-plight-of-palestinians/11062 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Two reports were released this week on the state of Palestinian conditions, each with a different target of blame. The UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report accused Israel of weakening the Palestinian plight through the addition of movement restrictions in the West Bank. The study claimed fault with the restriction plan, saying it had been added in the last four years during a period of increased security in the West Bank. Plainly, the UN deems the restrictions unnecessary

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-warned-european-governments-not-to-support-palestinian-state/11059 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The United States reportedly warned European governments in a memorandum not to support a Palestinian bid for increased status at the United Nations. The memorandum, which was seen by the British newspaper The Guardian, called giving the Palestinians enhanced non-member state status "extremely counterproductive" and threatened "significant negative consequences" for the Palestinian Authority, including financial sanctions, the newspaper reported on October 1. The memorandum, sent by US officials to

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/first-presidential-debate-spotlights-economy-health-care/11051 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 President Obama and Mitt Romney focused on revenue and spending, with an emphasis on health care, in their first presidential debate. With the focus on the economy, foreign policy was mentioned only in passing as the contenders squared off Wednesday at the University of Denver. Obama said Romney's plans to repeal his health care reform passed in 2010 would remove new protections, including mandatory coverage for those with preexisting conditions and coverage for children up until age 26 under their parents'

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-4-12-round-up-am-edition/11049 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Mitt Romney surprises everyone at the Presidential debates last night; hes almost an entirely new candidate. [Jewish Week] The experimental Jewish community in Birobidzhan, Russia may be small, but its not going away. [NYTimes] The LGBT community is now described by a similar stereotype used for Jews: one of a non-developed child. [Huffington Post] The Republican Jewish Coalition will spend $2.5 million to run Romney ads in swing states. [Sacramento Bee] Czestochowa, Poland is renaming its

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/syria-spurns-hamas-head-khaled-mashaal/11047 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 It would appear that Israel and Khaled Mashaal, the long-time leader of Gazas ruling party Hamas, finally have something in common; they are both against Bashar al-Assad's regime and its violent attempt to stay in power. Since 1999, the Syrian capital of Damascus has been home to Mashaal. He was previously living in Amman, Jordan, but was expelled following a botched Israeli assassination attempt on his life. Once a staunch supporter of the Assad regimeas both shared a passionate hatred for

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ajc-poll-shows-ohio-jews-back-obama-64-percent/11037 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The American Jewish Committee has conducted a survey of Jewish voters in Ohio, earning similar results to recent studies. The poll found Barack Obama leading challenger Mitt Romney 64 percent to 29 percent. Last month, the AJC looked at Florida Jewish voters, finding the president with 69 percent of the vote over Romneys 25 percent. Likewise, last week the AJC released a study on the national Jewish vote, showing Obama with 65 percent of Jewish constituents compared to Romneys 28 percent. The

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/campus-activists-give-ahmadinejad-an-unwelcome-reception/11036 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israel advocates have made it clear that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads visit to the United Nations will not go unnoticed. In response to Ahmadinejads presence at this weeks General Assembly meeting in New York, more than 15 campuses across the country have joined an awareness campaign sponsored by Hasbara Fellowships. The most prominent events are being planned by students at New York University, SUNY Albany, SUNY Binghamton, Emory University, the University of Texas and UC Berkeley

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/national-front-founder-accuses-b-nai-b-rith-of-political-conspiracy/11030 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A controversial French statesman is facing a backlash from Jewish groups, after accusing Bnai Brith of effectively blocking his political career. Jean-Marie Le Pen, creator of the National Front party, made the accusation in an interview with French weekly paper Minute. Le Pen has been retired from politics for some years, but is still titled as honorary president for National Front, Frances third largest political party and a far-right group often accused of xenophobic views. The

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/10-3-12-round-up-am-edition/11029 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Palestinian Authority sticks to its claims that Israel is attempting to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque in order to rebuild the Temple. [Algemeiner] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues his diatribe against Israel, likening them to criminals and terrorists. [Algemeiner] Despite early crossover appeal, Jewish Republican Josh Mandel appears to be faltering in his bid for the Senate. [Daily Beast] The New York-based Human Rights Watch has accused Hamas of gross abuses towards the Palestinian

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/finnish-party-plans-new-bill-to-ban-circumcision/11004 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Finland's third largest party, True Finns, has demanded a ban on ritual circumcision of minors. In a debate held on September 26 at the Finnish parliament in Helsinki, Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, a lawmaker for True Finns, reiterated his calls in March to outlaw the practice in Finland. Saarakkala, 28, said he would submit a bill proposing to criminalize ritual circumcision in boys younger than 15 years of age, according to the online edition of Yleisradio, Finland's national public broadcasting company. "The

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/soros-pledges-1-million-to-obama-super-pac/11002 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Billionaire George Soros pledged $1 million to a Super PAC supporting President Obama. The donation reported over the weekend by The New York Times will go to Priorities USA Action. It reportedly was announced September 27 at a luncheon held by the Democracy Alliance, a group of liberal donors, by Michael Vachon, a longtime Soros political adviser, according to the Times. Soros also is set to donate $500,000 to two Super PACs backing Congressional Democrats, the newspaper reported. With the donations, Soros now

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israel-disappointed-by-argentina-s-talks-with-iran-over-94-amia-attack/10996 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israel expressed its disappointment this weekend that Argentina has agreed to bilateral talks with Iran. Argentinas decision to work with Iran on settling a decades long skirmish over a Jewish center bombing was announced last month. Since that time, the Jewish state has reacted with terse acknowledgement, saying in a statement Saturday, The Government of Israel received with great disappointment the news about the Argentine acceptance of a meeting with the Islamic Republic of Iran on a Foreign

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bibi-shares-phone-conversation-with-obama-romney/10987 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke over the phone Friday with both Barack Obama and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The Israeli leader spoke with the president for about 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute talk with Romney. The conversations focused mainly on the contentious situation in the Middle East, and came after both Netanyahus and Obamas addresses at the UN. "The two leaders discussed a range of security issues, and the president reaffirmed his and our countrys

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/motion-in-place-to-protect-circumcision-in-germany/10986 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Germanys Justice Ministry has put together a proposal that seeks to protect circumcision. The move comes after months of controversy, as several lawmakers sought to ban the religious rite outright. High ranking officials promised German Jewry that a nationwide motion would be set in place to uphold the practice, and last weeks proposal is the first piece of national legislation to that end. The amendment would allow the practice, so long as a rabbi or mohel receives parental consent beforehand. The

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/egypt-s-morsi-against-direct-intervention-in-syrian-civil-war/10981 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Egypts controversial Islamist president Mohammed Morsi stated at the United Nations this week that Egypt opposes foreign military intervention to stop the civil war in Syria. Egypt is committed to pursue the sincere efforts it has been exerting to put an end to the catastrophe in Syria within an Arab, regional and international framework, said Morsi in his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly. Morsi believes that a solution should be one that preserves the unity of this

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/study-shows-70-percent-of-americans-back-israel/10976 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A strong majority of Americans view Israel favorably, according to a new poll by the Foreign Policy Initiative. The study found that 70 percent of Americans gave a favorable response when asked about the Jewish state. Similarly, 81 percent of conservatives back Israel, with 68.5 percent of moderates and 63 percent of liberals reporting the same. Moreover, Israel was named as the USs second strongest supporter. When asked who the nations best ally was, 15.9 percent answered the Jewish state, second

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/paris-mayor-criticized-for-suspending-debates-over-yom-kippur/10970 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The mayor of Paris is taking flak for ending city council talks early in respect for Yom Kippur. Mayor Bertrand Delanoe suspended talks at the Council of Paris on Tuesday, deciding to pick the discussions back up at a planned meeting next month. Originally, this weeks meeting was scheduled to continue on through Wednesday. In retaliation, far left representative Gilles Alayrac told Le Parisien, The mayor devotes too much attention to religious sensitivities. My friend Gilles panics

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ajc-poll-shows-obama-leads-with-65-of-jewish-vote/10962 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 AJC released a national survey yesterday on the state of the Jewish vote. Its the second such poll the group has conducted this year, and comes just weeks after it published a similar study on the stance of Jewish voters in Florida. The research, like most recent polls, showed President Obama with an overwhelming Jewish lead over GOP candidate Mitt Romney. Obama currently holds 65 percent of the national Jewish vote, over Romneys 24 percent. When pressed, undecided Jewish voters sided with Obama 63

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-27-12-round-up-pm-edition/10954 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Did you hear Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the UN today? And he had some sort of cartoon diagram? [Times of Israel] Tablet think's Netanyahu should have abstained from the UN General Assembly altogether. [Tablet] A Jewish student runner helps save a life on the track. [Knox News] Anti-Israel activists condemn Barcelona invite to Gilad Shalit. [JC] Encounters with the God particle. [Tablet] Woody Harrelson discusses his neo-Nazi themed play on Broadway. [Forward] A Jewish baseball rookie is getting a second

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/reactions-to-bibi-s-iranian-bomb-cartoon/10952 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Benjamin Netanyahu sparked a slew of headlines today, after using a simplistic bomb diagram to explain the Iranian nuclear crisis to the UN General Assembly. Tomorrow mornings newspapers are likely to carry the image, a fact pointed out by media commentators on both sides of the aisle. Today, however, spectators could get a taste of what reporters will ultimately spin out, as bloggers, journalists and laymen took to Twitter to express their takes. The ADL released a statement of its own this

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/protestors-ahmadinejad-not-welcome-in-nyc/10946 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 This week, angry protestors surrounded Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads New York hotel and made it clear that the leader, and his Holocaust-denying and anti-Israel rhetoric, were not welcome in the United States. We think personally that a guy who denies 9/11, calls the Holocaust a big lie, shouldnt come to New York and be able to have four-star accommodations. Let him stay at the [Iranian] Mission [to the UN,] which is what the Cubans are doing, said David Ibsen, whose

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-to-un-place-clear-red-lines-on-iran-video/10944 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly today, in a highly anticipated speech focused primarily on the Palestinian Authority and Irans nuclear program. Employing a theme of modernity versus medievalism, Netanyahu used the countrys accomplishments in civil rights, technology and agriculture to color the Jewish state as a forward thinking democracy surrounded by nations entrenched in the past. Israel stands strong with the forces of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/abbas-calls-israel-terrorist-at-un-general-assembly/10941 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spent much of his address to the UN General Assembly today talking about the Israeli occupation, calling it the greatest obstacle the Palestinian people face. Abbas used terms like ethic cleansing, boycott, and occupying forces to whitewash the plight of the Palestinian Authority. It is a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people via the demolition of their homes, Abbas said. He added that

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/clinton-and-netanyahu-to-meet-after-un-address/10937 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Hillary Clinton and Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to meet today, following the Israeli prime ministers address at the UN General Assembly. The news was announced late last night, as President Barack Obama faced growing criticism for not meeting with any heads of state during the annual assembly in New York. Obama spoke at the conference Tuesday, but a tight campaign schedule led him to refuse requested meetings, including one with Netanyahu. The secretary of state has taken the lead on foreign

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-27-12-round-up-am-edition/10933 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Three people have been jailed for plotting to kill teachers at a Jewish school in Baku, Azerbaijan. [Boston.com] With the release of a new Sherlock Holmes television show, perhaps it is wise to study the protagonist in a Talmudic light. [Tablet] Germanys Justice Ministry has drafted a new bill to pass a law that will allow for circumcision of infant boys. [YNet] Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner urges a meeting with Iran over the suspected masterminding of the bombing at the Israeli-Argentine

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/swc-praises-french-interior-minister-on-defense-of-jews/10932 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The Simon Wiesenthal Center applauded the French interior ministers commitment to the defense of Jews, following a violent attack on a Jewish business. In a letter to Manuel Valls, SWCs international relations director, Dr. Shimon Samuels, praised the ministers pledge "to the defense of the French Jewish community in particular, and all other victims of hate-crime in general." The letter pointed to Valls quick visit to a kosher shop that was attacked in France last week. While Samuels had

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/iran-under-military-threat-from-uncivilized-zionists-ahmadinejad-tells-un/10931 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the United Nations General Assembly that his country is under military threat from "uncivilized Zionists." Ahmadinejad spoke to the assembly Wednesday at the UN in New York. The Israeli delegation and the United States delegation were not in attendance due to the Yom Kippur holiday. In his eighth and final address as president of the Islamic Republic, Ahmadinejad decried the "arms race and intimidation by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction by the hegemonic

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/abbas-tells-jewish-leaders-he-ll-be-more-sensitive-to-jewish-israel-claims/10930 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Jewish leaders that his UN speech would address showing greater sensitivity to Jewish claims to Israel. Meeting Monday evening with about 10 Jewish leaders, Abbas also endorsed Alan Dershowitz's formula for returning to talks with Israel, participants said. The meeting was under the auspices of the Center for Middle East Peace. Top Jewish organizational leaders declined, reportedly at the request of the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-jewish-vote-is-not-a-holy-grail/10927 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Erica Morris is a Jspace staff writer who has written for Jewish publications in New York, South Florida and London. She can be reached at erica@jspacecorp.com. An AJC poll on the Jewish vote in Florida garnered applause last weekfrom both the Romney and Obama camps. In a perfect show of spin doctoring, the Republican and Democratic campaigns found similar pleasure in a report showing President Barack Obama with 69 percent of the Jewish vote in Florida, while GOP challenger Mitt Romney lags with 25

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/who-s-creating-daylight-now-jewish-dems-ask-netanyahu/10926 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 In the US-Israel relationship, "daylight" is back, but this time its Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is being called on to draw down the shades. Netanyahus recent sharp rebuke of the Obama administrations Iran policies has drawn equally pointed pushback from Jewish Democrats. The back and forth recalls tensions in the first year of both governments -- but then it was President Obama who was largely bearing the brunt of accusations of allowing for daylight between the two

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/clinton-request-to-egypt-s-morsi-improve-ties-with-israel/10924 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to improve ties with Israel. Clinton made the request during a meeting Monday with Morsi in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Morsi reportedly told Clinton that Egypt intends to uphold the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, despite recent calls by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood-led Egyptian government to renegotiate or completely abrogate the treaty. Clinton reportedly also reassured Morsi that

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/adelson-has-given-70-million-but-forgets-how-much-he-gave-gingrich-and-demands-two-latkes/10921 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Politico adds up casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson's total campaign giving so far this cycle: "Worth just over $21 billion and now in the cross hairs of the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission, Adelson has made history: He is the first person to spend $70 million to sway a presidential election, and he plans to spend more perhaps as much as $100 million by Election Day. An estimated $20 million to $30 million of the giving went to groups that do not disclose their donors and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/natan-sharansky-past-and-present/10919 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Natan Sharansky, chief of the Jewish Agency, told Israel Radio last month that fears of a war with Iran are causing many would-be immigrants to Israel to delay their plans to make aliyah. Despite Jewish Agency figures which had revealed a two percent increase in aliyah in the first six months of 2012, Sharansky argued, "For months now, we've had dozens of instances in which potential immigrants have been postponing their aliyah; people who had already finalized their aliyah plans informing us that theyre

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/obama-at-un-nuclear-iran-threatens-elimination-of-israel-video/10918 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 President Barack Obama addressed the UNs General Assembly this morning, telling attendees we empower the worst of us when we condone violence in response to offensive speech. The address was the first in a series of highly anticipated appearances, including a scheduled speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tomorrow and a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. The annual assembly is currently taking place in New York, and Ahmadinejad arrived in the city

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ny-post-thwarted-in-gag-gift-delivery-to-ahmadinejad/10911 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The New York Post said it was rebuffed in its attempt to hand-deliver a basket with Jewish-themed gifts to the New York hotel room of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A Post reporter and photographer attempted to deliver the goods on Saturday night to the Warwick Hotel in Manhattan, where Ahmadinejad had checked in on Sept. 19. The Iranian leader is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. In response to seeing the gag gift, the Post claimed that an Iranian official at the hotel exclaimed,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/ahmadinejad-israel-has-no-roots-in-history-of-middle-east/10908 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Israel has "no roots" in the history of the Middle East. Ahmadinejad made his comments on Sunday to reporters at the United Nations before speaking at a U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting on the rule of law. "Iran has been around for the last seven, 10 thousand years. They have been occupying those territories for the last 60 to 70 years, with the support and force of the Westerners. They have no roots there in history," the Iranian leader said of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/barak-proposes-unilateral-withdrawal-from-outlying-settlements-outposts/10901 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak proposed in a newspaper interview that Israel unilaterally withdraw from outlying West Bank settlements and outposts. Under the plan that Barak outlined in a pre-Yom Kippur interview with Israel Hayom, any Jewish settlers who want to remain in their West Bank homes after the withdrawal could do so under Palestinian rule. The interview will be published in its entirety on Tuesday, in the newspaper's Yom Kippur eve issue. Israel Hayom reported on the interview Monday, saying

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/olmert-gets-probation-fine-for-breach-of-trust/10900 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to one to three years of probation and fined about $19,000 for a breach of trust conviction. Olmert was sentenced Monday in Jerusalem District Court. He could have faced up to three years in jail. The state had recommended a six-month jail sentence. The sentence in the Investment Center Affair does not include a ruling of moral turpitude, which would have prevented the 67-year-old from entering politics for seven years. Olmert was accused of granting

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/le-pen-qualifies-support-of-ban-on-wearing-kipahs-in-public/10895 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen clarified her support of a ban on wearing kippahs is public. Le Pen, leader of the National Front, told French television on Saturday that "Jewish skullcaps are obviously not a problem in our country, but France has to ban them in the name of equality, Haaretz reported. A day earlier she was quoted in an interview with the French daily Le Monde that she supports a ban on wearing kipahs in public in addition to a ban on Muslim

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-24-12-round-up-am-edition/10891 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Rabbi Shmuley Boteach wonders why the Jews of New York, and the world, dont do a better job of protesting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the eve of his arrival in New York. [Algemeiner] Following controversy that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has begun backing Mitt Romney for president, top Jewish Democratic officials have begun warning the Prime Minister to stay out of the election. [The Hill] Lanskys Traditional Jewish Deli on the Upper West Side of New York is shut down due to vandalism.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/senate-overwhelmingly-endorses-capability-red-line-on-iran/10889 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The US Senate overwhelmingly endorsed language that sets a red line for Iran "nuclear capability." The non-binding resolution, introduced in February by Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CN), says that "it is a vital national interest of the United States to prevent the Government of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability." The resolution passed late Friday by a vote of 90-1, with only Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voting against. The language is in line with Israel's red

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/sarah-silverman-fights-new-voter-id-laws-video/10882 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Sarah Silverman is at it again, using her brand of hilarious video messaging to promote the Democratic platform. The clip concerns new voter ID laws, which will see some states change ID verification methods to vote. Sarah takes aim at the so-called fraud prevention, pointing out that under some laws student IDs will no longer be valid, while gun permits will be totally acceptable. The video was paid for by Jewish interest group, the Jewish Council for Education and Research. In 2008,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/marine-le-pen-calls-for-ban-on-kippahs/10880 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A far right French politician made headlines today, calling for a ban on kippahs in public areas. Marine Le Pen, of Frances National Front, made the remark in an interview with the Le Monde publication. She was promoting a ban on Muslim headscarves and other religious symbols. "Obviously if we ban the veil, we would ban the kippa in public places, she said. Le Pen is notoriously tough on Islam and gave the interview as France grapples with tensions over an anti-Mohammad cartoon published this

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/gillibrand-ayotte-introduce-resolution-calling-for-un-sanction-of-iran-on-genocide-counts/10878 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Republican and a Democrat in the US Senate introduced a resolution calling on the United Nations to exercise its mechanisms to prevent genocide ahead of a speech next week by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The non-binding resolution introduced Thursday by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) calls on various UN bodies to sanction and charge Iranian leaders for violating the UN Charter because of "offensive remarks, contemptible statements, and reprehensible policies aimed at the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/argentinian-jewish-leaders-urge-foreign-minister-to-not-meet-iranian-counterpart/10875 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Argentinian Jewish leaders are strongly urging their country to reject Irans request for a meeting of their respective foreign ministers at the UN General Assembly next week. The Argentinian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday announced that Irans Ali Akbar Salehi had requested an audience with Hector Timerman to discuss the AMIA bombing case. Argentina has accused Iran government of directing the bombing that the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah is accused of carrying out. The 1994 attacked on the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-20-12-round-up-pm-edition/10865 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A popular Argentine television show featured a Rosh Hashanah episode this week. [Times of Israel] Reports surface the Ehud Barack secretly met with Rahm Emanuel this week, to discuss US-Israel tensions. [Algemeiner] The Prime Minister's Office blasts a Palestinian Authority decision to request statehood from the UN. [Jerusalem Post] A Frenchman has been charged with making threats over an anti-Mulsim cartoon that included a drawing of an Orthodox Jew. [Forward] Israeli embassy staff criticized Berlin's

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/cheryl-saban-named-to-represent-us-at-un-general-assembly/10864 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Cheryl Saban, the wife of billionaire Haim Saban, was nominated as US representative to the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Cheryl Saban, an author, philanthropist and advocate for women and children, was nominated by President Obama on Wednesday. The California resident founded the nonprofit organization Womens Self-Worth Foundation. Haim Saban, an Egyptian-born Israeli, is an entertainment mogul and major Democratic Party donor. He is ranked by Forbes magazine as the 104th richest

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/romney-ad-features-netanyahu-in-bid-to-gain-jewish-vote-video/10860 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Mitt Romney campaigners distributed a new television ad today, meant to sway Jewish voters in Florida. The 30-second spot features comments made recently by Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he spoke about the global community refusing to place deadlines in front of Iran. While Netanyahu does not name the US specifically, the remarks made headlines as a perceived attack of President Obamas policies. Now, the ad, paid for by GOP Super PAC Secure America Now, is set to run in districts in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/senate-committee-passes-jewish-compensation-resolution/10853 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A resolution urging the return or compensation of property seized from Jews during the Nazi and communist eras was passed by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The resolution passed Wednesday calls on European countries such as Poland, Romania, Latvia, Slovenia and Croatia to establish a simple, transparent and timely process for the return or compensation of seized property, and the secretary of state to issue an updated report evaluating whether these governments have met the basic

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-20-12-round-up-am-edition/10848 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Yaakov Ahimeir points out the difference in reaction between insulted Arabs and Jews. [Hayom] After continuing vandalism on churches, Christian leaders appeal to Israeli authorities to take a harsher stance against violence. [AP] Israel invites the IAEA to inspect the Soreq Nuclear Research Center in order to benefit all concerned in Israel. [YNet] For the time being, Israeli court wont grant an injunction forcing Google to block a film that ridicules Muhammad from being available in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-19-12-round-up-pm-edition/10843 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Was the US behind an Iranian blast that downed power lines near a nuclear facility? [Ynet] Australia's parliament shot down a motion condemning the BDS movement against Israel...then reversed its decision. [Times of Israel] Eight Israelis were arrested after threatening to jump to their death as part of a social protest. [Times of Israel] Two Palestinians are dead after an Israeli strike on Gaza aimed at terrorist plotters. [Algemeiner] Jewish numbers in Congress are set to plunge after the coming

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/abbas-threatens-resignation-proposes-end-to-oslo-accords/10833 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Mahmoud Abbas is showing signs hes ready to step down from his post as president for the Palestinian Authority. Abbas, who is currently in the US for next weeks UN General Assembly, reportedly said at a PA meeting, You have 10 days until I return from the United States. You must start the search for a new president. The comment was revealed by an anonymous PA source, according to Saudi news agency Alwatan. Abbas has threatened to resign in past years. However, the remark arguably

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/republican-jewish-coalition-begins-5-million-tv-ad-buy/10832 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Republican Jewish Coalition launched a $5 million television advertising campaign aimed at Jewish voters in swing states. The campaign started Wednesday and runs through November 5 in cable and broadcast TV markets with sizable Jewish populations in Florida, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The first RJC ad is a shortened version of one of the groups buyers remorse videos, which featured disillusioned Obama voters. "This ad highlights the 'buyer's remorse' felt by many in the Jewish

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/romney-says-palestine-has-no-interest-in-peace-video/10825 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A video released of Mitt Romney speaking at a private fundraiser included quips about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In the clip, the GOP candidate says Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace. The video was published on the Web site for liberal publication Mother Jones this week. It was obtained from an anonymous source, and set the Republican campaign on the defense over comments regarding 47 percent of voters who pay no income tax. Mother Jones released snippets of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-19-12-round-up-am-edition/10824 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=87155 Synagogues looking for new members offer money as incentive to help spark community growth. [New York Times] Secret Romney tape paints Presidential hopeful as unsure of how to handle the Palestinian issue. [Daily Mail] New Muhammed caricatures released in French paper lead to unrest over possible retaliation. [The Forward] Israeli national baseball team looks to the US for new recruits to play in the World Baseball Classic. [New York Times] Larry Klayman sues Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg for their lack of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/france-gives-highest-honor-to-simone-veil-ex-politician-who-survived-auschwitz/10821 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Simone Veil, a French politician and Holocaust survivor, was awarded France's highest honor. French President Francois Hollande presented Veil, 85, with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour at the Elysee Palace on September 10. Veil, a lawyer by education, served as minister of health under the center-right government of Valery Giscard d'Estaing and later as president of the European Parliament, as well as a member of the Constitutional Council of France. She was imprisoned at Auschwitz but managed to escape

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hundreds-gather-at-occupy-rosh-hashanah/10817 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=2 Far from the synagogues and festive family meals held throughout New York City, hundreds gathered on the streets in downtown Manhattan to celebrate the Jewish New Year and the one year anniversary of the Occupy movement near Zuccotti Park. Its not just our birthday of the Jewish people, one leader shouted to the crowds to repeat, or mic check as it is commonly called in Occupy events. Its our birthday of people-period! the group echoed back. The event drew

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jspace-s-most-influential-jewish-people-of-the-year/10805 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 As Rosh Hashanah approaches, it has come time for Jspace to name its Most Influential Jewish Person of the Year. The competition was stiff and many could have claimed the top spot, but only one can be named. Before revealing this years main macher, however, we must give some credit to the best of the rest. For the fourth time, Stanley Fischer was named by Global Finance magazine as one of the Worlds Best Central Bankers of 2012, and was one of only six bankers to score an A in the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-14-12-round-up-am-edition/10797 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Jewish groups are angry that initial reports claimed "Innocence of Muslims" was created by Jews. [CNN] Meanwhile, one columnists lays out how the media failed to help the situation. [Tablet] Gender rules evolve on blowing the shofar. [Washington Post] Some Jews use Rosh Hashanah as a time to make aliyah. [Metro Focus] Britain's chief rabbi accuses a leading professor of anti-Semitic remarks. [Telegraph] How involved should Israel be in the US election? [Forward] A controversial radio play of Anne Frank's

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/maryland-governor-to-tour-israel/10792 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Maryland Governor Martin OMalley will travel to Israelfor the third time in office. The Democrat is planning on making a trade mission in November, he announced this week. The news came at the opening for a new radar company, ELTA North America, which partially inspired the decision. In Maryland, were able to attract businesses like ELTA because we believe in innovating, educating, and rebuilding our infrastructure, OMalley said. Thats why were

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/biden-at-rosh-hashanah-event-says-no-daylight-between-israel-and-us-on-iran/10786 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 At a Rosh Hashanah reception at his residence, US Vice President Joe Biden said "there is no daylight" between the United States and Israel when it comes to Iran. Biden, in a short address before the reception Wednesday on the grounds of the Naval Observatory in northwest Washington, reaffirmed the Obama administration's commitment to Israel's security. According to tweets posted by Nathan Diament, the Washington director of the Orthodox Union, Biden said that "Both our nations are intently focused on the threat

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/new-bill-would-press-countries-harboring-war-criminals/10783 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Two US congressmen have introduced legislation aimed at pressuring any country harboring Nazi war criminals. Reps. Steve Israel (D-NY) and Howard Berman (D-CA) proposed legislation in the House of Representatives on Wednesday that would prohibit defense sales to any country offering safe harbor to Nazis or any modern-day war criminals. We must let the world know that we will do everything in our power to pursue justice against the monstrous acts perpetrated by Nazi criminals and modern-day war

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/boxer-boxes-bibi/10781 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who wears pro-Israel on her sleeve, just dumped big time on Benjamin Netanyahu for his critiques of President Obama's Iran policy. She also turns the "no daylight" phrase on Bibi, which is depending on your politics a) vicious or b) brilliant, considering how much has been made of it by Republicans: "I urge you to step back and clarify your remarks so that the world sees that there is no daylight between the United States and Israel." I'm pretty sure this is not unprecedented -- I

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/looking-back-at-the-highlights-of-5772/10769 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The following is a review of the news highlights of the Jewish year 5772. September 2011 An Egyptian mob breaks into the Israeli Embassy in Cairo and Israeli personnel are stuck inside for hours until Egyptian commandos arrive at the scene. Israeli Air Force jets evacuate the Israelis from the country. The attack exacerbates fears in Israel that it is losing a once-reliable ally to the south. The Palestinians submit their bid for statehood recognition to the UN Security Council. In speeches at the UN General

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-and-obama-share-late-night-phone-call-on-iran/10767 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu spent an hour on the phone last evening discussing Iran, a statement from the White House revealed this morning. The conversation came as media reports alleged Washington had refused a meeting with the Israeli leader, who will be in the US at the end of the month for the annual UN General Assembly. News outlets originally claimed the two had already arranged a September meeting. Yesterday, however, media reported that Obama had refused an official request from the Prime

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/what-happened-with-dems-platform-on-israel-fingers-have-been-pointed/10748 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Democrats may have put Jerusalem back into their party platform, but the Republican Jewish Coalition is still hammering away at its original omission, the convention hall tumult over its reinsertion and the absence of some other pro-Israel passages that had been in the 2008 platform. On Friday the RJC issued a new print ad highlighting these points. Meanwhile, Democratic elected officials were annoyed at what they saw as a political gift that their party clumsily handed to Republicans looking to attack the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/in-the-debate-heating-up-on-iran-attack-a-who-s-who-of-the-players/10740 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The debate over an Israeli strike on Irans nuclear facilities has heated up in recent weeks, with several current and former Israeli security chiefs coming out against an attack. Here are some of the debate's most prominent figures, plus what President Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, think of the idea. Benjamin Netanyahu Position and credentials: Prime minister of Israel and the most important person in the decision on whether to strike Iran. A security hawk, Netanyahu has made combating

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jordan-s-king-to-address-british-jewry/10734 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 King Abdullah of Jordan will address the Board of Deputies of British Jews at its annual dinner, the Jewish Chronicle reported. The theme of the November event is multiculturalism, interfaith and world peace, according to the newspaper. King Abdullah's father, the late King Hussein, attended the board's annual dinner more than a decade ago. The Board of Deputies is the representative organization of British Jewry. Representatives of Britain's Jewish community met in June with King Abdullah.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-7-12-round-up-pm-edition/10713 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Vatican official says Israel is fostering intolerance of Christianity. [Telegraph] A Jewish soccer star gets called to play for the South African national team. [Algemeiner] Why people do (and don't) join synagogues. [Jewish Week] Jewish graves are vandalized in Germany [The Local], while a community in New Jersey was graffitied with swastikas and epitets of "Kill the Jews." [Jewish Press] Jewish life is returning to Bed-Stuy. [The Brooklyn Link] The 2012 candidates are invoking a favored Nazi debate

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/study-venezuelan-anti-semitism-at-new-heights-in-race-between-chavez-and-capriles/10710 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Anti-Semitism in Venezuela has spiked during the electoral race for president between a Catholic man of Jewish descent and President Hugo Chavez, according to a new report. State media and supporters of Chavez, who has ruled the country for the past 14 years, regularly vilify his opponent, Henrique Capriles Radonski, derisively referring to his Jewish roots, a study by Tel Aviv Universitys Kantor Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism found. This is done in a variety of methods, such

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/canada-ends-relations-with-iran-cites-anti-semitism-as-reason/10708 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Canada has ceased diplomatic relations with Iran, closing its Tehran embassy due to the Islamic republics racist anti-Semitic rhetoric and incitement to genocide. In the announcement today, Foreign Minister John Baird also cited Irans support for Syrias Bashar al-Assad and failure to comply with UN nuclear inspectors as reason for the closure. Effective immediately, all Iranian diplomats still in Canada are declared persona non grata, Baird added. Canadian officials have

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/barak-us-deployment-against-iran-impressive/10707 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, called the recent deployment of US forces in the Persian Gulf "impressive" and suggested that the United States is prepared to deal with Iran. "Israel reserves the right to make sovereign decisions, and the US respects that, but no mistake should be made regarding the impressive scope of the American preparations to deal with the Iranian challenge on all levels," Barak said Thursday at a political gathering, according to Haaretz. Barak made the comments after he and Prime

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-professor-appointed-to-un-s-human-rights-council/10702 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 An Israeli professor has joined the UNs Human Rights Council, marking only the second time the committee has brought on a representative from the Jewish state. Yuval Shany, 43, was elected as one of nine individuals who will work on the HRC for a four-year term. Of 167 voting nations, 112 chose in favor of adding the professor. The HRC is designed to examine whether member nations are legally abiding by international human rights laws. The addition of Shany is a poignant one, as the HRC has on a number of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-7-12-round-up-am-edition-video/10701 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 One op-ed writer says Israel's border fence should stay closed against 21 stranded Eritrean refugees. [Israel Hayom] Jews protes the destruction of an ancient cemetery in Beersheba. [God Discussion] German Jews and Muslims see the circumcision issue as an attack on faith. [Kansas City Star] Meanwhile, Jews condemn the restrictions on brit milah included in the recent Berlin ruling. [Jerusalem Post] Frankfurt is criticized for honoring a Jewish-American scholar who supports boycotts of Israel. [Haaretz]

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-6-12-round-up-pm-edition/10696 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A rumored meeting between Netanyahu and Obama means a strike on Iran is "less and less likely." [Times of Israel] Violence escalates as Jewish youths attack another Arab teen in Jerusalem. [Jerusalem Post] Jewish leaders participate in a security drill with US officials. [Shalom Life] Iran says gay rights are a Jewish plot. [Daily Beast] What the Jerusalem platform fiasco says about the Democrats. [Tablet] A British MP says South African boycott of Israeli products is like the Nazi boycotts of Jewish

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/adl-slams-democrats-invoking-holocaust-analogies/10695 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Anti-Defamation League decried three recent reported Nazi analogies used in political debate, all by Democrats. "Earlier today, South Carolina State Democratic Chairman Dick Harpootlian reportedly evoked Eva Braun when discussing Gov. Nikki Haley's press briefing from a basement studio at the NASCAR Hall of Fame," the ADL said in a statement Wednesday. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is in Charlotte, NC, where the Democrats are having their party convention. The Republican Party has set up an opposition publicity

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/olmert-sentenced-to-community-service-for-breach-of-trust/10685 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to six months of community service for a breach of trust conviction. Olmert was sentenced Wednesday in Jerusalem District Court. He could have faced up to three years in jail. The state prosecutors office also dropped a request that the court find that Olmert 's conviction amounted to moral turpitude, which would have prevented the 67-year-old from entering politics for seven years. Olmert had agreed to forgo the perks awarded to a former head of state,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-6-12-round-up-am-edition/10682 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israel has set up a new $3.7 million initiative to enhance science education in peripheral towns. [Israel Hayom] One op-ed writer thinks Obama's Jewish support has diminished. [NewsMax] Jewish writers share ideas in Australia. [Jewish News] Jewish leaders wonder if Jews are welcome in Berlin. [Haaretz] Advocates for Jewish sex abuse victims cancel a meeting with the Brooklyn DA. [New York Daily News] The Portland community dedicates its first synagogue in 40 years. [Biz Journal] A Palm Beach Democrat

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/dutch-fm-urges-eu-to-place-hezbollah-on-terror-group-list/10681 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Netherlands urged other European Union members to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said. The Netherlands has made another appeal to European Union members to place Hezbollah on the EU list of terrorist organizations, Rosenthal said Wednesday evening in Amsterdam at a political debate organized by the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, or CIDI. Commenting on recent violence in Syria, he added, You see what happens when this

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/dnc-reinstates-platform-stance-calling-jerusalem-capital-of-israel/10676 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Jewish groups are lauding a reinstating today by the Democratic National Committee that Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. The stance was part of President Obamas platform when he ran in 2008, but was removed from the party platform statement in the run up to the November election. Instead, a comment that any Palestinian partner must recognize Israel's right to exist, reject violence, and adhere to existing agreements was inserted. The change left the party

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/wexler-obama-best-bet-for-israel-s-security/10669 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Robert Wexler, a former congressman who is a chief Jewish surrogate for President Obama, told the Democratic National Convention that reelecting Obama was the better choice for a secure Israel. "Now is the time to support Israel as a thriving, democratic, and secure homeland for the Jewish people by reelecting Barack Obama as president of the United States," said Wexler, whose appearance Tuesday evening was announced at the last moment. Wexler, a former Florida congressman who was among the first Jewish

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/why-did-jerusalem-reference-disappear-from-the-democratic-party-platform/10662 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jerusalem has many mysteries, but none may be as perplexing at present as its disappearance from the Democratic Party platform. Several people involved in the platforms writing who spoke to JTA said they did not know how it had happened. Republicans launched a full-force offensive Tuesday morning, just hours after the Democrats released their platform Monday night, when they discovered that boilerplate references to Jerusalem as Israels capital that have appeared in Democratic platforms for decades

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-5-12-round-up-am-edition/10657 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Foundations of the Holocaust: superstition and Jewish demonization. [Jerusalem Report] Jewish voters care about more than just Israel. [Baltimore Sun] European rabbis and imams pledge zero tolerance on hate speech. [Reuters] Conditions are set on circumcision in Berlin. [Herald Sun] Hanna Rosinthe reluctant feminist. [Jewish Week] Two men try to run down Jewish bakery patrons in Monticello. [Record Online] Jewish groups in South Africa fight Occupied Territories labeling. [Ynet] The

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/at-democratic-convention-a-focus-on-jewish-swing-voters-as-key-to-election-win/10655 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jewish swing voters could make or break President Obamas bid for reelection. At least thats the case that Democratic Party leaders made in a training session that packed one of the larger halls at the convention center here on Monday, the day before the formal start of the Democratic National Convention. It came with a message delivered to Jewish volunteers at the convention in Charlotte: Some Jewish voters matter more than others. And when it comes to issues, Israel is especially important -- but

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/faces-of-a-crisis-declassified-archives-show-incompetencies-in-munich-massacre/10654 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 September 5th marks exactly four decades since a group of Jewish fencers, weightlifters and coaches was killed in a senseless pursuit of terrorism. The story of the Munich massacre has seeped into the public consciousnessbooks, films and documentaries have covered the subject at length. Global efforts and advocates like Ankie Spitzer and Ilana Romano have ensured that the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinians at the 72 Olympics have not been forgotten. Still, there remains much that is

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/social-protester-ends-32-day-hunger-strike-outside-netanyahu-s-residence/10652 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Thirty-two days after deciding to subsist on only water and cigarettes, social protester Tamir Hajij has ended his hunger strike. The leader of the social protest group Disappointed by the Likud has been in front of the Prime Ministers residence hoping for a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu since late July. Last week, after a month of fasting, Hajij was hospitalized when he refused water, even in his severely weakened condition. The same day, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin visited him in his

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/9-4-12-round-up-am-edition/10636 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 The international community must set clear red lines for Iran: an analysis. [Israel Hayom] Wall Street Journal blasts Obama's attitude toward Israel. [Israel Hayom] Approaching the High Holy Days as Jews...or as people? [Algemeiner] The recently-released brother of Yitzhak Rabin's assassin says he has no regrets. [Jerusalem Post] New York Jews won't have to vote in a church. [Arutz Sheva] Jewish Democrats are on the offensive. [Washington Examiner] Benny Gantz and Shimon Peres assure that Israelis will

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/exclusive-a-conversation-on-iran-with-israeli-brigadier-gen-eliezer-hemeli/10624 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Israeli Brigadier General (res.) Eliezer Hemeli, who spent a large portion of his life on the battlefield in Lebanon and Syria. I asked him a few questions on his views toward the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-31-12-round-up-am-edition/10618 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Jewish Agency "visionary" dies at 51. [Haaretz] Why is Romney so feverish on Israel when most Jews will vote for Obama? [Jewish Press] Britain's leading lapsed-Zionist speaks out. [Haaretz] Tensions rise between the US and Israel on Iran. [Times of Israel] A Sderot home is hit with rockets from a Gaza attack. [Algemeiner] One op-ed writer thinks Germany stands with Israel. [Ynet] "The Possession" is a Blair switch project. [NY Post] What a character named Adolf Critler means for the future of video

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/iran-s-uranium-enrichment-centrifuges-have-doubled/10616 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Iran has doubled its production of uranium enrichment centrifuges at one of its underground facilities. The expansion, reported by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, comes amidst mounting pressure from the West and increased talk of a preemptive attack by Israel, which believes Iran has a clandestine nuclear weapons program. The number of enrichment centrifuges at the Fordow plant, which is located deep inside a mountain, has more than doubled, rising to 2,140 from the 1,064 believed to be there in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-30-12-round-up-pm-edition/10615 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Berlin seminary is advising its students not to wear yarmulkes in public, after a rabbi was beaten this week. [Reuters] Historians are searching for the remains of the only Auschwitz inmate to enter willingly--to document the atrocities. [Times of Israel] Ron Prosor says men on the moon could have been more accurate than the UN's Gaza report. [Algemeiner] Egyptian officials continue a call to amend the Camp David Accords. [Algemeiner] Talking to George W. Bush's Jewish chief of staff. [Tablet] Yiddish

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/netanyahu-to-address-united-nations-general-assembly/10613 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the United Nations General Assembly, his office announced. Netanyahu will travel to New York on September 27, just hours after Yom Kippur ends, and leave New York on September 30, arriving back in Israel on the eve of the Sukkot holiday. "In Tehran today, the representatives of 120 countries heard a blood libel against the State of Israel and were silent. This silence must stop. Therefore, I will go to the UN General Assembly and, in a clear voice, tell the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rjc-micro-targets-jews-in-philly-cleveland-and-south-florida/10608 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Republican Jewish Coalition's director, Matt Brooks, met with reporters on Wednesday and added details to the group's planned blitz of south Florida and suburban Philadelphia and Cleveland on September 9 and 10, part of the $6.5 million spend he is dedicating to switching over Jewish voters. The glittering prize of the $6.5 million plan, Brooks suggested, was a voters list that hones in on likely switchers and the means to tip them over to the Romney. We have invested serious resources to develop the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/mccain-cites-existential-threat-to-israel-in-slamming-obama-s-foreign-policy/10604 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israel is under an "existential threat" and is among the American allies suffering from the Obama administration's leadership failures, US Sen. John McCain suggested in his speech to the Republican convention. "Unfortunately, for four years, we've drifted away from our proudest traditions of global leadership -- traditions that are truly bipartisan," the Arizona Republican said Wednesday evening at the convention in Tampa, FL. "We've let the challenges we face, both at home and abroad, become harder to solve,"

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/republican-convention-video-highlights-romney-s-israel-views-video/10600 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Republican National Convention showed a video highlighting Mitt Romney's commitment to Israel. The one-and-a-half-minute video featured footage of Romney's July visit to Israel and several excerpts from the candidate's speech in Jerusalem. "Mitt Romney believes America shares a deep and cherished relationship with Israel, and like the United States, Israel respects the rights of people of all religions and will preserve the holy places of Christians, Jews and Muslims," the video's narrator said. The video

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-30-12-round-up-am-edition/10596 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 New Orleans Jewish centers close due to Hurricane Isaac. [Jerusalem Post] The Obama campaign woos Jewish voters. [Sun Sentinel] Levi Aron, convicted of killing an 8-year-old Jewish boy, will spend 40 years in prison. [Jewish Week] Police release one Jewish firebomb suspect. [Arutz Sheva] Labor Day and Jewish values. [Jewish Week] Why Jews hold circumcision so dear. [Haaretz] Italy celebrates Jewish culture, despite disruptive earthquake. [Forward] How a symbolic Jewish treat became an Italian staple.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-29-12-round-up-pm-ediiton/10592 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Why Jewish voters will pick Obama over Romney. [The Hill] A man faces life imprisonment for butchering a Brooklyn Jewish boy. [Chicago Tribune] There are tales of tragedy and triumph behind Israel's Paralympic team. [Times of Israel] JAFI gives aid to the family of the non-Jewish Burgas victim. [Jerusalem Post] German Jews oppose an award for a US philosopher. [Ynet] Co-founder and past president of the World Jewish Congress died 30 years ago today. [WJC] An Israeli high court says Migron must be

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/calif-assembly-approves-anti-semitism-resolution-for-colleges/10576 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The California State Assembly approved a resolution calling on colleges and universities in the state to combat anti-Semitism. The symbolic resolution was approved Tuesday with no debate, according to The Associated Press. It also calls on the schools to quash campus demonstrations against Israel. Pro-Palestinian and free speech activists were angered by the resolution, saying it characterizes pro-Palestinian speech as anti-Jewish. A University of California spokesman told the San Francisco Chronicle on

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-chief-rabbi-warns-geert-wilders-not-to-force-dutch-jews-to-leave/10574 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Israels chief Ashkenazi rabbi warned Dutch politician Geert Wilders that attempts to ban ritual slaughter will eventually force Jews to leave the Netherlands. Rabbi Yona Metzger wrote a letter Tuesday to Wilders saying he was "shocked and upset" to learn that Wilders' rightist Party for Freedom adopted a ban on ritual slaughter in its election platform. Metzger asked Wilders to drop the issue from the platform. The Netherlands will hold general elections on September 12. Last year, Wilders' anti-Muslim

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/amid-roasted-pigs-country-music-and-rabbinical-blessings-romney-seeks-to-define-himself/10566 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Whole barbecued pigs, cheerleaders and elegies to skinny-dipping farmers daughters. That was the organized noise Sunday night at the opening bash of the Republican National Convention at Tropicana Field, the home of Major League Baseballs Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg. For those seeking Jewish content, a noted rabbi was set to kick off the formal proceedings on Tuesday, and scattered through the rain-drenched towns of Tampa Bay were a number of events addressing the pro-Israel communitys

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rightists-shout-anti-semitic-slogans-during-budapest-demonstration/10552 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Demonstrators from the ultra-rightist Jobbik Party shouted anti-Semitic slogans during a demonstration in Budapest. The demonstration Sunday came on the fifth anniversary of the foundation of the ultra-rightist, xenophobic, paramilitary Hungarian Guard, which is banned by Hungarian law. Gabor Vona, a Jobbik leader and a co-founder of the Hungarian Guard, delivered a nationalist speech in front of about 200 demonstrators. Some shouted anti-Semitic slogans against dozens of counter-protesters. The demonstration

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/pressure-rises-on-eu-to-name-hezbollah-a-terror-group/10551 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Pressure is mounting on the European Union to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization, though there is little indication that the body is prepared to do so. Early this month Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called on the EU to add the Beirut-based group to its terrorist list, following a bus bombing in Bulgaria that killed six Israeli tourists. Both the Jewish state and the US believe Hezbollah to be involved with the attack. But the EU has maintained its stance that the Islamic organization is a

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-28-12-round-up-am-edition/10550 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A rising rabbi gets a high profile gig at the GOP convention. [Wall Street Journal] An Israel study reveals the origins of the brightest exploding stras. [NBC] A group of 25 young Poles discover their Jewish roots in Israel. [Ynet] Israeli clowns pioneer new medical treatments. [Ynet] Nine Israeli youths are arrested in connection with an attack on Arab teens. [Times of Israel] An Israeli court dismisses damages claims in the Rachel Corrie case. [Times of Israel] Seniors at a Sderot high school missed

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-youth-activists-discuss-arab-israeli-relations-environment-with-international-peers/10544 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 In separate conferences held in Berlin and Israel, young activists from Israel joined youth leaders from around the world to discuss Arab-Israeli relations and the environment. Ya-La Young Leaders, a Facebook-based program aimed to bring together youth from the Middle East, held its first ever gathering in Berlin over the weekend. Nimrod Ben-Zeev, an Israeli member of Ya-La said that 18 promising young leaders were selected from Israel, the Palestinian territories, Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/angela-merkel-reaches-out-to-jewish-leader-promises-bris-protection/10542 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 German Chancellor Angela Merkel will work to ensure the Jewish communitys right to brit mila wont be infringed upon, according to a letter written by the leaders top religious aide. Dr. Rudolf Teuwsen, Merkels Churches and Religious Communities representative, wrote to Menachem Margolin, director of the Rabbinical Center of Europe, saying the German government sees a special obligation to cultivate Jewish culture and religion. The chancellor is grateful that Jewish life has,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-27-12-round-up-am-edition/10528 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Past Israeli PM Ehud Olmert struck a Syrian reactor in 2007, right after George W. Bush refused to do so. [Times of Israel] Democrat Jews are sweating and it shows. [New York Post] A Forward writer tries to pick the Jewish candidate for the upcoming election. [Forward] A controversial rabbi pushes back against Republican Jewish Committee claims. [Jewish Week] Jewish community softball tournament to fund grants to aid Detroit. [Detroit Free Press] Olympic gold medalist's family beats the odds in more ways

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/roseanne-barr-fights-jewish-mind-control/10523 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Roseanne Barrthe woman who would be presidentthinks Jewish mind control might be one obstacle to the White House. We think there are a few others she should consider. Roseanne is running under the Peace and Freedom Party (dont feel bad if you havent heard of it either) after losing a bid to run on the Green Party ticket earlier this summer. As such, weve been monitoring the brash comediennes Twitter feed for notes of political genius, when we stumbled upon

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rjc-eci-demand-removal-of-radical-rabbi-from-obama-list/10517 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Two conservative groups called on the Obama campaign to sever ties with a "radical" on its newly-released list of more than 600 rabbis who support the president's reelection. The campaign rejected the demand. The Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday expressed profound outrage that Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, a Renewal rabbi from California that the RJC described as a "radical rabbi", is part of Rabbis for Obama, which was launched Tuesday. Gottlieb sits on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-avigdor-lieberman-s-lame-duck-diplomacy/10511 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman re-emphasized his belief that the Palestinian Authority should hold general elections, and continued his criticism of Mahmoud Abbas by telling Israel Radio, Abu Mazen

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/australian-foreign-minister-tells-tehran-delegates-to-walk-out-if-anti-semitism-raised/10495 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jewish community leaders in Australia are angry that the government is sending delegates to a summit in Iran, although the delegates have been instructed to walk out if they hear "anti-Semitic rhetoric." Dr. Danny Lamm, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the attendance of two Australian officials at the Non-Aligned Movement's summit in Tehran next week sends the wrong message to a regime that sponsors terrorist groups around the world. The Iranian regime does not

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/tzipi-livni-returns-to-public-work-to-improve-israel-s-global-rep/10493 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Tzipi Livni has taken on a new role: fellow at a top Israeli think tank. The former opposition leader has joined forces with the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), to help improve the reputation of the Jewish state on a global stage. The role marks Livnis return to public work since she left the Knesset in May. The move followed her ousting as Kadima leader in March, by current Kadima head Shaul Mofaz. "Israel's national security is directly tied to its international standing, Livni

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rjc-blasts-obama-campaign-over-one-of-its-rabbinic-endorsers/10492 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Republican Jewish Coalition took a close look at the Obama campaigns newly released list of 600+ rabbinic supporters and is calling on the campaign to sever its ties to one of them. The RJCs target is Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, a California Renewal rabbi who has endorsed the Palestinian BDS call and is a member of the advisory board and rabbinical council of the far-left Jewish Voice for Peace. She was the only rabbi to speak at a controversial 2008 interfaith dialogue dinner in New York hosted for

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/september-surprise-will-morsi-s-us-visit-become-an-election-issue/10489 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Egypts new president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, is apparently planning to visit the United States in September. AFP reports: "Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi, the country's first civilian and Islamist head of state, will visit the United States on September 23, state media reported on Wednesday." "The official MENA news agency quoted Morsi's spokesman Yassir Ali as saying the president will attend a United Nations General Assembly session in New York and then head to Washington to meet

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/us-jewish-groups-deny-reports-that-they-funded-dutch-politician-wilders/10486 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Representatives of three prominent American Jewish groups denied Dutch media reports that they had funded Geert Wilders, the Dutch anti-Muslim politician. The De Telegraaf daily and other Dutch media attributed the funding allegations to another Dutch lawmaker, Wim Kortenoeven, who parted ways with Wilder's Freedom Party last month. But Kortenoeven told JTA that Dutch media misreported his remarks and that he had never said that the American Jewish groups funded Wilders, only that they "supported" Wilders' views

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/gantz-says-idf-stands-prepared-to-attack-iran/10485 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz has shot back at Iranian claims that Israel is not primed to attack the Islamic republic. Speaking at a ceremony yesterday honoring fallen soldiers of the Golani Infantry Brigade, Gantz said "whoever thinks he can eliminate Israel and try to harm our state will discover the deadly force of the IDF." In recent days we have heard direct threats against Israel's security and the safety of its citizens, he said. These threats display an erroneous estimation of our

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-23-12-round-up-am-edition/10484 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A look at how the role of Jewish voters became defined. [LA Times] Most Israelis condemn violence against Arabs. [Algemeiner] Jewish composer Samuel Bernstein will be featured at the Morris Museum in New Jersey. [NJ Jewish News] TMZ founder Harvey Levin sits down with the Wall Street Journal. [YouTube] A Melbourne Jewish center apologizes for its handling of an abuse scandal. [ABC] An Australian man is evicted over Nazi taunts. [Herald Sun] A new Vatican appointment underlines tense relations between

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/amsterdam-jewish-community-warns-us-jews-of-dangerous-dutch-politician/10479 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The chairman of the Jewish Community of Amsterdam asked a Dutch politician to warn US Jews about a "dangerous" rightist Dutch legislator. Ronnie Eisenman, chairman of the executive board of the Jewish Community of Amsterdam, or NIHS, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that the "Amsterdam Jewish community regards [Dion] Graus as a danger for the interests of Dutch Jewish community." Graus, an advocate of a ban on ritual slaughter, is in charge of animal welfare for the Party for Freedom headed by Geert

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/abbas-denies-connection-between-jews-and-jerusalem/10474 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has denied there is any connection between Jews and Jerusalem, in an address on Tuesday. In the speech, Abbas accused Israel of trying to rob holy sites belonging to Muslims and Christians. The statement was made on the anniversary of an attempted burning of tha Al-Aqsa mosque by an Australian Christian in 1969. The culprit was later found to be insane. Their ultimate goal is to rob Muslims and Christians of their holy shrines, destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/neo-nazis-join-military-to-gain-training-for-racial-war/10461 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 White supremacists are joining the military to receive training for a future war against Zionists, according to a report by Reuters. Journalist Daniel Trotta wrote about a growing movement among skinheads and neo-Nazis to complete rahowa, a term used for racial holy war, and these individuals are using military training to that end. Their fight is against the government, which they call the ZOGZionist Occupation Government. The issue has gained attention in recent weeks, after

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/lieberman-writes-letter-calling-for-ousting-of-abbas/10455 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israels Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an obstacle to peace, in a letter to world leaders calling for Abbas ousting. Lieberman sent the note to members of the Quartet to the Middle East, which includes participation from the US, UN, European Union and Russia. The foreign minister urged those interested in helping aid an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal to work toward removing Abbas from his post. Abbas, a Fatah party member, was due to run

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/rabbis-for-obama-600-strong-in-12/10451 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 President Obama received a rabbinical endorsement this week, in the form of Rabbis for Obama. The group includes more than 600 rabbis who added their names to a list yesterday, in a show of support for the president leading up to Novembers election. A majority of the spiritual leaders are Reform and Conservative, though there are some Orthodox rabbis included. The complete list can be viewed at barackobama.com/rabbis. The rabbis are representing their own views, not the views of any unions

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-22-12-round-up-am-edition/10447 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Dick Cheney's former aid says no one in DC will strike Iran. [Israel Hayom] Tzipi Livni says the US-Israeli relationship trumps partisan politics. [Daily Beast] Some say a visit to Israel would prove Barack Obama's seriousness toward Iran. [Ynet] An Orthodox female DJ is rocking the music world. [Ynet] Mahmoud Abbas denies there is any Jewish connection to Jerusalem. [Jerusalem Post] Jewish groups want German legislators to speed up protection of the circumcision rite. [Washington Post] The Jewish community

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/gop-platform-to-back-two-states/10444 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Republican Partys platform is expected to include support for a two-state solution in the Middle East. The platform committee, meeting in Tampa, FL, on Tuesday, rejected three amendments that would have removed language supportive of a two-state solution, according to a delegate who put forward two of the amendments. A vote before the full Republican Convention in Tampa is expected next week. The proposed language as it now stands, written by the Romney campaign and committee aides, states, We

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-21-12-round-up-pm-edition/10441 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Barack Obama is going for the rabbinical vote. [New York Post] Could Israel use some help on the state of its education? [Jerusalem Post] Jewish values and politics collide over the Israel-Palestinian conflict. [Huffington Post] An Israeli archaeologist is digging up the Sobibor death camp. [Haaretz] Seclusions and inclusion within the Jewish community. [Jewish Week] A founding member of a Jewish-Arab village dies in a car accident. [Haaretz] An Arabic site aims to change perceptions about Jews.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/gop-democratic-conventions-will-gain-jewish-focus-for-similarities-and-gaps/10437 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Get set for a political double feature with much of the same plot, but with different outcomes for the issues that tend to preoccupy Jewish voters. The same key words and themes will bounce around Jewish events at next weeks Republican convention in Tampa, FL, and at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, NC, the week after that: pro-Israel, marriage, Jewish vote and abortion. With the exception of pro-Israel, however, the content of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/adelson-donates-500k-to-boteach-congressional-bid/10435 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has received a funding boost in his bid for Congress. The Shalom in the Home rabbi has received $500,000 from casino mogul Sheldon Adleson and his wife, in the form of a Super PAC donation. Adelson is a staunch Mitt Romney supporter. The billionaire has been quoted as saying he will spend up to $100 million to send the GOP candidate to the White House, and hes already donated $10 million to that end. Now, the Jewish businessman is backing Boteach, who hopes to become

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-21-12-round-up-am-edition/10422 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Barack Obama's Jewish backing slips in Florida. [Boston.com] A Jewish governor is touting Obama in swing states. [Forward] Experts say aliyah rates aren't affected by Iran concerns. [Jerusalem Post] Israel will help restore a lake in Africa. [Ynet] Austria will investigate an alleged anti-Semitic cartoon. [ABC] An op-ed writer thinks the divide between the US and Israel is greater than we think. [Jewish Week] Tablet says the media has a blind spot when it comes to Orthodox women. [Tablet] Jewish

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-jews-should-vote-with-religion-in-mind/10408 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and a principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Most people dislike politics. Voter apathy has become part of our vernacular, and far too many people fail to exercise one of the most extraordinary privileges afforded to us by the Constitution -- the right to vote. As Americans, voting is a privilege we should cherish. However, as Jewish Americans, we have an even greater obligation to ensure that we do not ignore

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/congressman-apologizes-for-nude-dip-in-the-galilee/10400 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Several Republican politicians took part in an alcohol-inspired dip in the Galilee, one without his clothes. The allegations were exposed by Politico, citing an unnamed source. The FBI reportedly investigated the occurrence, which took place in the late hours of August 18 after a dinner. As estimated 20 people took part. Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS), 36, admitted to swimming in the iconic body of water sans clothing, though his colleagues remained dressed when they took to swimming. "After dinner I followed some

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/iran-s-supreme-leader-calls-israel-cancerous-tumor/10397 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Irans supreme leader called Israel a cancerous tumor over the weekend, during an address to signify the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said "the big powers have dominated the destiny of the Islamic countries for years and... installed the Zionist cancerous tumor in the heart of the Islamic worldMany of the Islamic world's problems come from the existence of the sham Zionist regime. He added: "All Islamic governments and people have to pay attention to

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-20-12-round-up-am-edition/10395 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Musician Rick Recht grows with his Jewish roots. [Post Gazette] One op-ed writer thinks Shimon Peres' recent remarks give Benjamin Netanyahu an easy out on a solo attack on Iran. [Ynet] An ultra religious rabbi in Israel forbids Jews who use the legal court system from leading services. [Jerusalem Post] Hudson Valley hosts a Jewish Heritage Music Festival. [Newsday] David Cameron's Jewish tailor passed away last week. [Israel Hayom] Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren says an attack on Iran won't create a rift

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/house-bill-aims-to-support-jewish-refugees-video/10383 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A bill to recognize the plight of Jewish refugees from Arab countries has been sponsored in Congress. The motion aims to combat a rising trend, as international leaders highlight the displaced nature of Palestinians who left Israel during the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948. The drafters of the bill, six bipartisan House Representatives, want the world to remember the hundreds of thousands of Jews that have been expelled from Arab nations since the conflict began. Should it pass, the legislation would see

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/zulu-king-to-visit-israel-despite-s-africa-s-boycott-on-israeli-travel/10379 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 South Africas Zulu king will visit Israel, despite the countrys discouraging its citizens from traveling to the Jewish state. King Goodwill Zwelithini accepted an invite from Israels ambassador to South Africa, promising to visit early next year. The Tuesday announcement came just two days after the South African government reiterated a policy of boycotting Israeli travel, citing Jerusalems treatment of Palestinians as cause. "The decision is left to the individual or the organization

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/presidential-candidate-jill-stein-speaks-out-about-night-in-jail/10377 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jewish environmental activist and Green Party candidate Jill Stein believes her recent stint in a Philadelphia jail should be a required experience for anyone in public office. Stein joined her running mate, Cheri Honkala, and others, including an 82 year old nun, at the Philadelphia branch of Fannie Mae to support two local women who were about to be evicted from their homes by Fannie Mae. After being refused entry into the Fannie Mae building, the protesters went to a nearby bank for a sit-in,

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/republican-convention-s-ex-democrat-has-a-pro-israel-record/10370 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Artur Davis, a former Democratic congressman, is going to be a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention. Only four years earlier, he had been a national co-chair of the Obama campaign and even gave a speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention seconding Obamas nomination. Davis, who in 2010 ran for Alabama governor and lost in the Democratic primary, announced in May that he would become a Republican, criticizing Democrats on economic policy, taxes, health care, affirmative action and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-17-12-round-up-am-edition/10367 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 British Jewry claims the International Olympics Committee denied the Munich 11 moment of silence three yeas before the London games. [Times of Israel] Paul Ryan is lauded by Republican leaders, but some Jewish groups are wary of the VP candidate. [Jewish Standard] The diaspora is undergoing a Jewish leadership crisis: retirement. [Algemeiner] A Jewish LA orchestra celebrates 18 years, its chai birthday, of making music. [Israel National News] South Africas Jews and government clash over cancellation

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-16-12-round-up-pm-ediiton/10363 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Rabbi Yaacov Behrman doesnt agree with Algemeiners choice for its top non-Jewish friend of Israel. [Huffington Post] MTVs True Life is searching for a Jewish mamas boy. [JWeekly] Was Elvis Presley the Jewish king of rock? [Tablet] Jewish settlers are suspected of a firebomb attack in Palestine. [Reuters] A new Reform text includes guidelines for same sex marriages. [Jewish Journal] Hezbollah has been kicked off Facebook. [Algemeiner] An Israeli woman combats

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jewish-views-on-gop-vice-president-selection-paul-ryan/10361 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The US Presidential race is now in full swing, with republican candidate Mitt Romney selecting Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate. The choice comes with mixed reactions from the Jewish community. Jewish GOP supporters have praised Romneys decision to run with Ryan, who many believe has the ability to adroitly and creatively slash a federal budget they believe is out of control. Ryan is the current chair of the House Budget Committee. "Paul Ryan has challenged both party leaderships in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israelis-views-on-iran-studies-show-conflicting-reports/10355 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 As speculation mounts on Israels military plans for Iran, conflicting reports surfaced this week opining the outlook of Israeli citizens. One study, by the Dialog Institute, showed a decrease in the number of Israelis opposing a strike to prevent Irans acquiring a nuclear weapon. On the other hand, a poll released today by the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University indicated a majority of Israelis61 percent--are still against such a move. The Dialog report claimed 46 percent of

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-morsi-power-play-in-egypt-worrying-to-israel/10346 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. Over the last week, Egyptian-Israeli relations have grown increasingly uncomfortable. As Eric Trager, a US expert on Egyptian affairs at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, stated, Egypts full

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/vp-hopeful-ryan-meets-with-adelson/10336 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Paul Ryan met with Sheldon Adelson, a major giver to Republicans in the effort to defeat President Obama, just days after being tapped by presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney as his running mate. Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, met Tuesday with Adelson and other major Republican donors at the casino magnate's Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. The New York Times reported that the private meeting was geared in part at assessing the foreign policy views of Ryan, the chairman of the US House of Representatives Budget

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/oren-panetta-talk-iran/10333 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israels ambassador to the US said his embassy was targeted by Iran last year, as he cautioned that a military strike might be imminent. A 2011 plot to assassinate Saudi Ambassador Abel Al-Jubeir included plans to bomb the Israeli embassy in Washington, said Michael Oren in a radio interview Wednesday. An official complaint against the man suspected of the plot, Manssor Arbabsiar, states he "discussed the possibility of attacks on a number of targets. These targets included government facilities

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/alicia-silverstone-is-clueless-about-vladmir-putin-s-agenda/10326 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=81531 Alicia Silverstone is notorious for her weird antics, but her latest stunt may top the list she wrote a letter to Russian President Vladmir Putin urging him to personally intervene to help a member of the rock band, Pussy Riot. Three musicians from the all-girl band are facing a potential prison sentence on hooliganism charges for performing a song against Putin at a church in Moscow. At a court appearance relating to the charges earlier this month, one of the girls, Maria Alekhina, collapsed due to

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/bar-mitzvah-fireworks-have-ny-area-congressman-in-hot-water/10325 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A suburban New York congressman was accused of soliciting donations from a constituent who sought the lawmaker's help in gaining government permits for a bar mitzvah fireworks show. Eric Semier of Southampton, NY, was throwing the bash for his son and needed the help of Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) to get government permits to put the fireworks on display, according to Politico. Before Bishop and his aides completed their work on his behalf, Semier claims, he received a request from the Long Island congressmans

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/vote-unanimous-to-make-ashkelon-sister-city-to-sacramento/10321 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Sacramentos city council voted unanimously to make Ashkelon a sister city last night, despite heated opposition from pro-Palestinian and leftist Jewish groups. In the weeks leading up to the decision, advocates on both sides made headlines, as the California community waited to see the outcome. Opponents to the pairing claimed sistering with Ashkelon would be discriminatory, as Palestinians could not enter the city. In fact, Palestinians are able to enter Ashkelon--to visit, work or study--after acquiring

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/sacramento-vote-to-sister-with-ashkelon-draws-heated-debate-video/10283 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A debate on whether or not Sacramento should become sister cities with Ashkelon promises to draw major crowds during a vote on Tuesday. The California capitals council members will decide the matter, which has caused a heated back and forth on the merits of the proposal. The process of becoming twinned with a foreign city is typically a show of support and friendship, and is a common occurrence both in the US and abroad. Three years ago, Sacramento became sisters with

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/in-a-romney-administration-lieberman-at-foggy-bottom/10280 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Foreign Policys Josh Rogin looks at who might be tapped for top foreign policy and defense jobs in a Romney administration. Apparently, Sen. Joseph Lieberman is being discussed as a possibility for Secretary of State: "For secretary of state, most advisors interviewed for this article said that Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is under serious consideration at the top levels of the campaign. An 'independent Democrat,' Lieberman, who hasn't endorsed any presidential candidate this cycle, was almost chosen by Sen.

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/8-13-12-round-up-am-edition/10266 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=81531 The National Jewish Democratic Council says that Mitt Romney's choice to have Paul Ryan be his running mate does not reflect the values of US Jews. [Haaretz] Israeli police prepare to close off the Mount to Jews from Friday until Tuesday due to Muslim celebrations marking the end of Ramadan. [Arutz Sheva 7] Israeli prosecutors drop manslaughter charges against a former soldier in connection with two deaths during the offensive on Gaza in 2009. [BBC] Yad Vashem honors Antonin Kalina, a Czech communist who saved

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/choice-of-carter-as-convention-speaker-decried/10246 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Former President Jimmy Carter, who has garnered much criticism in recent years for his harsh words about Israel, will address the Democratic National Convention in prime time. The Democratic National Convention Committee and Obama for America announced that Carter will speak September 4 via video on the second day of the convention in Charlotte, NC. President Carter is one of the greatest humanitarian leaders of our time and a champion of democracy around the globe, said convention chair Antonio

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/fl-candidate-accused-of-being-atheist-and-nudist-i-am-jewish/10243 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A candidate in an Orlando-area primary is disputing claims in a flier mailed to voters that he is a nudist and an atheist. Jeffrey Goldmacher, who is running in Tuesday's Republican primary for the Osceola County Commission, said he lives on a clothing optional resort at the Cypress Cove Resort and Spa in Poinciana, not a nudist colony. Only lepers and ants live in colonies," Goldmacher, 56, told the Orlando Sentinel. The retiree disputed the claims that he is an atheist by

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/romney-crashes-orthodox-wedding-ceremony-before-fundraiser-video/10231 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Mitt Romney took his life in his hands to make it to a New Jersey fundraiser last night. The GOP candidate found himself the subject of a high-speed sprint during his route from Newark Airport to an event hall in Lakewood, NJ, encountering an Orthodox wedding ceremony in the process. Yahoo news reporter Holly Bailey documented her experience as part of a media envoy following the former Massachusetts governor to his speaking engagement, where he was expected to raise upward of $1.5 million. Apparently, time was

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/op-ed-the-israeli-left-s-growing-pragmatism/10227 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Brent Sasley teaches Israeli and Middle East politics at the University of Texas at Arlington, and blogs at Mideast Matrix. He can be reached on Twitter on twitter.com/besasley. Its often said these days that the left in Israel not only is decimated, but it continues to cling to long outdated idealism about how to solve the conflict with the Palestinians and withdraw from the West Bank. Also that its out of touch with Israelis current preoccupations and the settlers successes. Avraham

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/romney-america-is-not-a-kibbutz/10219 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 America is not a kibbutz, according to GOP candidate Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor made the announcement during a Tuesday fundraising speech in Chicago. In the address, Romney praised Americas capitalist spirit, reiterating his support for individual liberties, particularly in business. "Its individuals and their entrepreneurship which have driven America," Romney said. "What America is not (is) a collective where we all work in a kibbutz or we're all in some little entity. Instead

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/sheldon-adelson-sues-jewish-democratic-group/10217 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Sheldon Adelson is suing the National Jewish Democratic Council for defamation. Lawyers for Adelson, the casino magnate and major Republican donor, had sent a warning letter to the NJDC and to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last week after each body publicly stated that Adelson had approved of prostitution at his properties in Macau, China. That allegation appeared in a lawsuit file by a former Adelson employee, Steven Jacobs, who had managed Adelson's Macau business until being fired in

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/egypt-kills-20-terrorists-in-sinai-israel-security-concerns-still-tight/10215 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 An Egyptian airstrike early this morning killed 20 terrorists, thought to be involved in Sundays attack that saw 15 Egyptian officers dead. The operation in Sinai today was officiated by Egypt, but reports state Israel was consulted and gave the okay prior to the initiative, in line with regulations from the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty. The strike came after Tuesday night clashes between insurgents and security forces at several checkpoints in the region. The move was a tentative sign of cooperation

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/loughner-giffords-shooter-changes-plea-to-guilty/10207 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Jared Lee Loughner pleaded guilty to the shooting attack that killed six and seriously injured then-US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The change reportedly was in exchange for a plea bargain that would see Loughner sent to prison for life but avoiding the death penalty for the 19 counts against him, including murder, attempted murder and the attempted assassination of the Arizona congresswoman. The pain and loss caused by the events of January 8, 2011 are incalculable," Gifford's husband, Mark Kelly, said in a

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/naming-holocaust-denier-government-minister-concerns-romanian-jews/10205 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The appointment of a Romanian lawmaker who denied his countrymen's complicity in the Holocaust "seriously concerns" Romanian Jews, a community leader said. Dan Sova was appointed minister for parliamentary affairs on Monday. In March, Sova was filmed saying that Romanians never participated in the persecution of Jews. The Social Democrat lawmaker added that only 24 Jews, not thousands, had died during the violent Iasi pogrom, which he attributed to the German army. Sova later retracted his statements. In an

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hungary-s-ex-jobbik-official-meets-chief-rabbi-denounces-anti-semitism/10193 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 An alleged neo-Nazi politician who recently discovered he was Jewish has met with the chief rabbi of Hungary. Csanad Szegedi made headlines in June when he revealed in a magazine interview that his grandparents were Jewish. Szegedi was at that time a member of the Jobbik party, a far right group that has been accused of anti-Semitism. Upon disclosing his Jewish ties, the politician faced pressure to resign from parliament. He ultimately left the Jobbik party as a result, but maintained his position in the

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/roseanne-barr-still-hopes-to-run-the-white-house/10188 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=81531 Roseanne Barr is still a presidential hopeful after winning the presidential nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party. She received the majority of votes at the political partys nominating convention in Los Angeles on Saturday, and will continue her bid for the White House with their support. Barr previously lost out to join the Green Party ticket, but isnt too upset about it. She posted a message on her Roseanne Barr for President website saying that she is the lone voice of courage and

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/adelson-presses-romney-on-pollard-clemency-israeli-embassy-move/10186 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 Sheldon Adelson, a major contributor to Republican Mitt Romneys presidential campaign, has asked Romney to speak out publicly for the release of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. Romney, the presumptive GOP nominee, has said he needs to see the relevant intelligence material accessible to a president before deciding whether to grant Pollard clemency, sources told the Daily Beast website. Pollard was working as an American civilian intelligence analyst for the Navy when he passed classified information to

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/romney-ad-raps-obama-for-not-visiting-israel-video/10184 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 A Mitt Romney campaign ad criticizes President Obama for not visiting Israel during his presidency and refusing to call Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The 30-second television ad rolled out Sunday, which features American and Israeli flags and Romney at the Western Wall, is titled "Cherished Values" and begins with the question, "Who shares your values?" As president, Barack Obama has never visited Israel and refuses to recognize Jerusalem as its capital, says the ad for the presumptive

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/tel-aviv-council-rejects-proposal-to-put-arabic-on-city-emblem/10179 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=139 The Tel Aviv City Council rejected a proposal to include Arabic on the city's official emblem. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said during the council meeting Monday that Arabs comprise only 4 percent of the city's population, according to Ynet. Councilman Ahmed Mashrawi had initiated the proposal, saying the unification of Tel Aviv and Jaffa in 1950 has led to the blotting out of Arabic history in the city. "The Arab community of Jaffa is today a minority in the city, but it has a glorious history in Jaffa and it is

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/democratic-group-retracts-prostitution-charges-against-adelson/10167 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 A Democratic committee has retracted statements it made against Sheldon Adelson, who was accused of promoting prostitution and using the profits to fund a Republican Super PAC. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee made statements in June and July referring to an Associated Press story, which alleged the Las Vegas billionaire was condoning a prostitution ring out of his Macau, China hotel. On its Web site, the DCCC posted: What will Speaker [John] Boehner, Leader [Eric] Cantor and House

2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 2013-06-19T03:09:51-04:00 http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/peres-in-greece-thanks-country-for-hiding-his-father-in-wwii/10165 Jspace.com info@jspace.com http://www.jspace.com/profile/view/?q=80143 Israeli President Shimon Peres is in Greece for a three-day visit to discuss energy and defense cooperation between the two nations. The Israeli leader made the travel plans at the invitation of Greek President Karolos Papoulias, who is also hosting a state dinner in Peres honor. While abroad, Peres has plans to meet with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Speaker of Parliament Evangelos Meimarakis, heads of political parties, and members of the Jewish community. At the start of this evenings