Over the past three months, some 200 firebombs and 80 explosive devices have been thrown at worshippers and Israeli soldiers at Rachel’s Tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem in the West Bank. The figures were provided by senior Israel Defense Forces and Border Police officers on Monday during a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Israel Hayom reported. The committee gathered to discuss the security threats facing worshippers at the tomb. Committee Chairman MK Avigdor …More

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 Israel’s 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. “I’m going to be bashed now, and be the …More

A new poll shows half of Israeli Jews back the Women of the Wall. [Israel Hayom] Sholem Aleichem's granddaughter writes e-books. [Jewish Business News] Jimmy Carter wants the EU to label products coming from the West Bank. [Arutz Sheva] A Jewish center in New York is contributing to Google Art. [Ynet] A British lawyer has been fined $12,000 for an anti-Semitic rant. [Forward] The Newseum will "re-evaluate" its plans to honor two Hamas cameramen. [Times of Israel] Some non-dairy dishes for Shavuot. [Tablet] …More

The Oberlin College Student Senate endorsed a resolution that calls for the college to divest from six companies that do business in the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem and Gaza. Following a three-hour discussion, the resolution was approved "by majority" on Monday, the Oberlin College Students for a Free Palestine said in a news release. The six companies are Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, Group 4 Securicor, SodaStream, Elbit Systems and Veolia. The Students for a Free Palestine group at Oberlin said it would …More

Mortars were fired from Gaza on Eshkol this evening. [Times of Israel] Meanwhile, shots were fired on an Israeli car in the West Bank. [Times of Israel] A UK politician is suspended after giving a Nazi salute. [Arutz Sheva] Swastika graffiti is found on a New York sidewalk. [Arutz Sheva] The lyrics to an unreleased Bob Dylan song are up for sale. [Tablet] Turns out Martha Stewart just returned from a wedding in Israel. [Forward] Check out "Pizza Bagels," the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival's short …More

Israel struck Gaza today, hours after an Israeli man was stabbed to death by a Palestinian in the West Bank. Evyatar Borovsky, a father of five, was stabbed multiple times by a Palestinian man at the Tapuah junction early this morning. After stabbing his victim, the assailant, Salam As’ad Zaghal, reportedly shot him at close range. Police were able to subdue Zaghal, but Borovsky, 32, was declared dead at the scene. Retaliation attacks have already begun across the West Bank, with the ever-popular rock …More

Alumni and pro-Israel supporters of Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law have launched a campaign to prevent to the university from awarding former President Jimmy Carter with the school’s “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 …More

Today marks the third day in a row of fire from Gaza into Israel. [Times of Israel] Two are killed as riots continue in the West Bank. [Forward] Police tell Women of the Wall they will enforce a law banning women from reciting the Mourner's Kaddish at the Kotel. [Times of Israel] The Times looks at media portrayal of WWII, and how the newspaper industry could have done more to shed light on the plight of the Jews. [NYT] On the 45th anniversary of his assassination, a look at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s …More

A plan for a joint recycling center serving both Palestinian and settler communities in the West Bank has sparked controversy. Al Minya, which was funded by the World Bank and is operated by Palestinian entrepreneurs, has been encouraged to accept settler trash and cooperate with the settlements, a move many Palestinians believe would force them to recognize and legitimatize the settlements. Investigative journalist Dror Etkes, who opposes the settlements, pointed out that finding a solution to the …More

The Israel Defense Forces have imposed a general closure of the West Bank through the end of Passover. The closure went into effect at midnight on Sunday and will remain into effect until Tuesday night, according to a statement from the IDF. The closure was ordered by the minister of defense in accordance with situation assessments in the IDF, the statement said. Those in need of medical attention or humanitarian aid, or exceptional cases, will be allowed to leave the West Bank with the authorization of the …More

President Barack Obama landed in the West Bank at 11 am Israeli time, for a brief visit to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas before heading back to Jerusalem. Crowds gathered in the street to greet Obama, though the reception was noticeably less warm than the one he received a day earlier in Tel Aviv. One commentator noticed there was “not an American flag in sight,” while protesters numbered in the hundreds chanted slogans like “Go home you devil” and “We …More

JNS.org A New York Times Magazine cover story is under fire from critics in the pro-Israel community who say it too sympathetically depicts a Palestinian village known for holding weekly demonstrations against Israel. The story titled “Is this where the third Intifada will start?” about the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh was written by Ben Ehrenreich, who in 2009 penned an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times headlined “Zionism is the problem.” “In December 2009 they held their …More