Since we believe Palestinian Arab casualties that result from Palestinian Arab mis-handling or misfiring of Palestinian Arab explosives, guns, rockets, mortars and the like almost never get reported in the mainstream news media, we will be watching to see how much coverage this incident below gets. It appears at this moment on a Bethlehem-based (and somewhat Hamas-hostile) Palestinian news site.
By Tzvi Fishman
I know that I promised to lay the sledgehammer aside for awhile, but a few of yesterday’s news items made me batty. In one of them, the UJA-Federation of New York announced it was earmarking ten million dollars in emergency hurricane relief to its local network agencies and synagogues. Chevre! Chaval al hakesev!
The hype over a potential independent Knesset bid by popular Likud Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon has been quashed with news that Kahlon is putting his name behind prime minister and Likud chief Binyamin Netanyahu and announced that he will not abandon the party.
In Union Square the chess players sit alone under the statue of George Washington waiting for a game. A Latino family, father, mother and son, sit on the sidewalk holding cardboard signs and singing. “I’ll be your friend, when you’re not strong.” The big chain stores are closed but the bodegas are open and Muslim and Chinese storekeepers charge up to ten dollars for a gallon of water. New York City in blackout, in short, is much like New York City as usual.
Lingering doubts that remained about the criminality of the organization frequently called the United States' "largest Islamic charity" [NY Times] ended on Monday. That's when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that it would not overturn an earlier appeal that went against five officials from Holy Land Foundation convicted of illegally funneling millions of dollars to Hamas. That appears to be the final legal avenue open to the convicted men and concludes the case.
Gunmen opened fire in a children's park in south Sinai on Saturday night, wounding six, officials told the Ma'an news agency.
By J. H. Green
Receiving a difficult medical diagnosis can easily spell trauma, anguish, and hopelessness for a patient and his loved ones. Yet even amidst the dark skies of such a situation, Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein affectionately known simply as YY assures us that there is still hope.
Just when you think you have everything pretty much figured out in the Middle East, someone throws you a curve. At least that’s what happened to me last week. In what has to be the most surprising development thus far in the so called Arab Spring - Egypt’s new freely elected President, Mohammed Morsi, has sent a friendly letter to Israeli President Shimon Peres on the occasion of the exchange of ambassadors.
By Moshe Herman
Yishai, who is away for reserve duty in the IDF, presents highlights from around the world.
By Moshe Herman
Yishai and Malkah discuss the holidays and how they differ in observance between Israel and the US. They also talk about recent news items.
A rocket from Gaza hit Hof Ashkelon on Tuesday evening. Two people were treated for shock, and a house was lightly damaged after the rocket landed a few meters away in the sand in their backyard. (The author of this news brief happened to have been in Ashkelon this evening, and on a personal note […]
By Adam Levick
Fans of this blog have often asked why we do not monitor British media institutions other than the Guardian for anti-Israel bias – a query to which we have not had an answer. Until now. Recognizing the importance of the BBC in shaping world-wide opinion, a new site, BBC Watch, has been launched which will monitor BBC coverage of Israel and the Middle East.
British Communist Eric Hobsbawm spent his career whitewashing, minimizing, excusing and stooging for some of the worst crimes in human history. Yet in his life and now in his death his devotion to totalitarianism has been excused and praised.
We know we speak for many in our community when we express sadness at the news that the United States Supreme Court on Monday decided not to review the 27-year sentence meted out to former Agriprocessors chief executive Sholom Rubashkin.
By Jamie Sloane, Israel Campus Beat
When Joanna Lieberman was preparing for graduation from Cornell University five years ago, her career options were unsettling.
By Zev Hurwitz, Israel Campus Beat
A report recommended that UC consider banning all hate speech from its nine campuses.
By Jason Maoz
The charade is played out every evening on election day. Television news anchors and beat reporters, on local stations and the networks, come on the air full of breathless anticipation, seeking to build an atmosphere of nail-biting uncertainty.
Do book sales reflect the general mood of the American electorate? If so, the current New York Times bestseller list does not carry good news for President Obama.
By Ryan Yuffe, Israel Campus Beat
As students prepare for the new academic year, the campus Israel community is stocking up with new ideas for attracting participants.
A short video to remember all the other Rachels who were murdered by Palestinian Terrorists.
By JTA
More than 600 rabbis have joined a campaign initiative called Rabbis for Obama. The rabbis represent themselves and not individual synagogues or organizations, according to the news release. The names of all the rabbis can be found on the website barackobama.com/rabbis. Most of the rabbis are Reform or Conservative, although a handful are Orthodox. Obama […]
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi told Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday that "Egypt and Palestine are one entity." Morsi, calling to convey holiday greetings in honor of Eid al-Fitr, also told Haniyeh that Egypt will stand by the Palestinians, and stressed the importance of security cooperation between the two countries.
Russia's government mafia isn't cutting back, it's redoubling its aggressiveness. With less money coming in, it's relying more and more on wholesale confiscation. Confiscation was how the regime built up its original fortune, but the problem is that it's eating up the business ecosystem and running out of money to confiscate. Every 6th businessman in Russia has been prosecuted in the last decade. Three million have been sentenced in that time.
If you buy into the concept that news is not news unless it is covered by the major media players, than I guess the fact that the Lebanese judo team refused to practice next to the Israeli team until the Olympic organizers erected barriers to divide the room and place the Israelis out of sight...wasn't news.
How can people understand the defensive measures Israel's military takes if basic information about ongoing constant terrorist attacks goes unreported in the news media?
By JTA
A Swedish citizen of Lebanese origin suspected of planning to attack Israeli targets in Cyprus was ordered held over by a court there. The Cypriot court on Monday ordered the man, 24, detained after noting the similarities between his actions and those of the Bulgarian suicide bomber who killed five Israelis and a Bulgarian bus […]
By Jacob Shamsian, Tazpit News Agency
Director of Tazpit News Agency, Amotz Eyal, stated that the collaboration between Tazpit News Agency and the Weekly Press Pakistan has, for the first time, exposed millions to news and balanced information coming from Israel.
Was there a similar terror attack attempt against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, back in January?
An insulin pill. That’s what Oramed Pharmaceuticals, a small Israeli-based company, hopes to offer millions of diabetics by 2016. “Oral insulin does not exist in the world today, but we are the furthest advanced in getting it into the market,” said Nadav Kidron, CEO of Oramed. “We are just about to start a Phase 2 trial in the United States, which is big news.”
At least seven passengers were killed and 30 injured in an explosion on a tour bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria in an apparent terror attack.
By JTA
Supporters of Jonathan Pollard called Hillary Clinton's remarks rejecting his possible clemency "a resounding slap in the face" to Israel's leaders and its people.
In meetings Monday with Israeli leaders, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on them to take steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority. According to a news report, Clinton has received a promise from President Morsi that he would not end the closure of the Gaza Strip. Clinton reiterated that the U.S. "commitment to Israel is rock solid. By strengthening Israel's security we are strengthening U.S. security."
A tight, organized network of Iranian terrorists seems to be using elementary schools, universities and government institutions -- not to mention manipulating the multicultural system -- to promote its messages of propaganda and hate, apparently with the ultimate goal of conquering the "infidel."
Should you sell out of your portfolio now?
"Monopoly was created for a summer Shabbat and Fast Days…"! So I heard, time and again, in my early years. Years later, I know rather too well that while "Monopoly" has a place in the Jewish home, I am not sure about it's appropriateness to either Shabbat or a Fast-Day.
Three people were injured Thursday in a family brawl south of Gaza City, witnesses told the Ma'an news agency. One of those injured is in critical condition, witnesses said, adding that all three were hospitalized after the fight in the Zaitoun neighborhood. No IAF drones were involved in the event.
How often do Gaza's Palestinian Arab terrorists end up hitting their parents, children, spouses or neighbors? Do you see these self-inflicted losses reported in the news media that serve your community? Keep the question in mind the next time you hear of injuries or deaths in Gaza along with Israeli denials of involvement.
Credit goes to the American people too for taking Edon Pinchot into their hearts. Americans didn’t see a Kipa – even though it was very obviously upon his head. They saw a talented young boy singing his heart out. And they loved it.
Jews are the least of Elmo's problems. Four days after a man dressed in an Elmo suit was forcibly ejected from Central Park for spewing anti-Semitic propaganda, an article revealed his frightening past. “I hate those [women],” he told a news reporter in 1999.
By JTA
The British Broadcasting Corporation “got it wrong” in its reporting of the massacre of the Fogel family by Palestinians in the West Bank village of Itamar, the broadcaster's outgoing director-general said at a parliamentary committee hearing. In March 2011, Arabs entered the Fogels’ home and murdered Udi, 36, Ruth, 35, and their children, Yoav, 11, […]
By JTA
Doctors reportedly have put former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak on life support as turmoil once again threatens to sweep the country. The state news agency Mena said Mubarak was "clinically dead" when he arrived at the hospital and that doctors used a defibrillator on him several times. The initial report said the efforts were not […]
Since opening in 1984, the restaurant has been a fixture for any Jewish tourists visiting New York and almost every religious Jew in the city has eaten there at least once. The reason for closing appears to be a combination of landlord greed and too many health code violations.
My dear colleagues, due to my activities as a journalist, I am unfortunately deprived unlawfully of freedom in my own country. I have been sitting in prison for 17 months without any final verdict. Journalism is a universal profession. Wherever a journalist is arrested and thrown into prison for doing his or her job, all of the world's journalists are under threat.
We are happy to announce the upcoming weekly serialization of Tzvi Fishman’s award-winning novel, Tevye in the Promised Land, beginning Monday.
A scoop by nature is a "preliminary report." On the one hand, it has a huge impact, but on the other hand there's a risk that the report is partially or completely false. Anyone who reads a scoop on the Internet, knows it can be inaccurate or even not correct at all, and yet they all relate to scoop as news until it is refuted.
The Middle East is becoming quieter. No, the swords are not turning into plowshares, it’s not that kind of quiet. Instead, it is the sound of truth that’s slowly being silenced. And it’s happening not only because the PA grows stronger, but also because the West grows weaker.
The Holyland Series Final Four is set, with Lakewood Heimishe Bake Shoppe and Lobos advancing to the marquee event, to join top seeds Cafe Rimon and Bagelsbergs. The top tier teams vie for the coveted Holyland Series Trophy, while Brooklyn Lightning and Jerry’s Kids look to take home the Janglo Cup in the tier-two championship.
By JTA
Israel's Air Force attacked what it said were two weapons storage facilities in the Gaza Strip.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) raised its 2012 economic growth estimate for Israel to 3.2 percent, up from its November estimate of 2.9 percent.
Torah Tidbits 6 - Jerry’s Kids 4...Café Rimon 14 – Lakewood Heimishe Bake Shoppe 6...Café Rimon 14 – Lakewood Heimishe Bake Shoppe 6
A tomato shortage has led to a surge in prices for the juicy Israeli staples, with prices estimated to reach NIS 16 per kilo on Monday ($1.90/lb). Tomatoes are usually an inexpensive commodity, available at 45 - 75 cents a pound. The shortage is a result of the conclusion of a growing season. In a […]
By Mike Cohen
We Jews are an extremely tight knit family. Families fight and argue, yell and scream, rant and rave – especially when things are stable. But push a family into the corner, or provide it with reason for celebration – and, usually, family members they will come together in profound and extreme ways.
In order to provide a proper response to the extreme left wing and anti-Israel ambushes staged against the security forces in Judea and Samaria, Tazpit News Agency is establishing a team of photographers who will have a presence at all flashpoints in Israel.
Israel’s RedHill Biopharma announced success last week in a major clinical trial of a new drug to prevent nausea in cancer patients.
The Ma'an news agency reports that five Palestinians were injured Sunday morning after their van collided with an Israeli military jeep near Hebron, according to medics. One man was critically wounded and taken by ambulance to a hospital in Israel, Palestinian Red Crescent officials told Ma'an. Medics said four others suffered light to moderate injuries […]
Aaron Klein’s popular radio program made the radio industry’s highly coveted Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred,” one of only two all-weekend shows in America to make the list.
By Tibbi Singer
According to Police, B'Hadrei Haredim's directors attempted to "squeeze" rabbis, politicians and business executives, as well as business outfits, over the past two years, threatening that if they did not pay large sums of money, the website would publish negative reports about them and block the posting of positive articles.
France 24 news service reports that the city of Toulouse is on "lockdown" as a group of 50-60 police officers hunt down a suspected drive-by motorcyclist who gunned down at least 4 people outside the Otzar HaTorah Jewish school. Several people - including young children - are fighting for their lives. The daughter of […]
When people hear the term "lashon hara", they automatically associate it with gossip. Speaking about someone behind their back to others, usually in a manner that is denigrating and unflattering, often describing alleged activities or doings that put the subject of the discussion in a rather negative light. This is the ultimate interpretation of lashon hara.
Feiglin: I know that religious Zionists think that their army service will pave their way into the heart of Israeli legitimacy. But that is not the case. Army service is a very important value. But those holding the reins will never let go in exchange for religious Zionist cannon-fodder.
By Jason Maoz
Billy Graham had for decades been one of America’s most admired figures, a national icon, a man respected across the board for his seeming sincerity, rock-solid faith and openness to working with those whose beliefs differ from his own. He was also a staunch friend of Israel. But a different side of Graham emerged during the 90-minute White House meeting with Nixon. Graham was particularly exercised by what he saw as the “stranglehold” Jews maintained on the American media.
By J. E. Dyer
Iran is making full use of strategic ambiguity on the high seas to advance its interests and dictate outcomes. Unless each new measure is directly challenged, strategic ambiguity would be a lot more fun for Iran than for the rest of us.
According to news agencies, after two days of talks on Iran’s nuclear program, UN nuclear experts have left Tehran without reaching a deal, adding to growing tensions after an Iranian general warned of a pre-emptive strike against any nation that threatens Iran. The International Atomic Energy Agency also said that Iran had barred its inspectors […]
The IDF has made contingency plans to deal with what may be large numbers of desperate Syrian citizens attempting to rush the border in order to seek refuge or attack Jewish and Druze communities in the area.
By Tibbi Singer
If Syrian TV News can't be trusted, who can we trust?
Syrian embassies around the world bore the brunt of the outrage over the Syria regime's brutal 11-month crackdown.
Adel Imam was sentenced to three months for his roles in a play and a movie.
There is a place for what Hunter Thompson called “Gonzo journalism,” but it isn’t a wire service news report, where the ancient Five Ws are still appropriate.
By Jason Maoz
The Monitor often is asked for an example of a news story that exhibits such blatant bias it astounds even a jaded observer of the mainstream media. Such a story appeared in the March 29, 2006 edition of The New York Times, on the occasion of the passing of Lyn Nofziger, longtime aide to Ronald Reagan.
Russia says it will veto any UN authorization of military force against Assad regime.
Turkey's Foreign Minister made the offer in a joint news conference with Iranian counterpart.
Hizbullah leader: "The armed resistance will stay and will increase its power."
Republic congressman from Michigan lobbied for a terror sponsor.
Welcome once again to “You’re Asking Me?” – the column that answers all kinds of questions, depending on how loosely you define the word “answer.” Whereas other so-called advice columns are interested in providing you with well-researched advice, my concern is more to get you to stop asking me questions, by whatever means necessary.
By JTA
Noam Shalit, fresh off his successful campaign to have his son, Gilad, freed in exchange for over a thousand Arab security prisoners, will attempt to win a Knesset seat with the Labor party.
By Aaron Klein
“Aaron Klein Investigative Radio” is broadcast live from Israel and heard on New York’s 77-WABC Radio, the largest talk station in the U.S.