By JTA
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul has effectively given up his presidential campaign but will not give up his delegates to Mitt Romney. Paul, a Texas Republican, said he would no longer compete in his party's primaries, leaving Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, the only viable candidate for the GOP nod still running. Romney remains about 200 […]
The extreme-left Greek Syriza party became the second biggest party in the country on May 6, surpassing the socialist Pasok party. Syriza has a party platform which includes "disengagement from NATO" and "termination of the military cooperation with Israel."
By JTA
Jewish reaction was mixed to the election of the Socialist Party’s Francois Hollande as the president of France while Jewish leaders in Greece expressed concern and disappointment after the fascist Golden Dawn party was poised to enter the Greek parliament for the first time.
Israel Beytenu Chairman: "The residents who have lived in Givat Ulpana for years are law-abiding citizens. This is not an illegal outpost. It is the state's mistake, and it must take responsibility. There are ways to regulate the matter with legislation."
By Tzvi Fishman
Now that everyone is talking about elections, I’m thinking of throwing my kippah into the ring. In all modesty, my novels have won me a pretty fair following in the religious community, so I could very well garner the necessary number of votes to get elected to the Knesset.
By JTA
Jewish leaders in Greece expressed concern and disappointment after the fascist Golden Dawn party was poised to enter the Greek parliament for the first time. Speaking to a news conference on Sunday, Golden Dawn leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos warned Greece's enemies – inside and outside the country – that they should be "very afraid." "We are […]
By Rafi Harkham
Danny Goldstein, founder and chairman of 'Calcala' ('Finance'): “We are focused on making Israel a better place to live and a better place to invest by merging the best of Israel and America - representing Israelis, but with an eye on the American perspective.”
By Barry Rubin
Israel is apparently going to have elections this autumn and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will almost certainly win by a big margin. Understanding why explains a lot about the country that people think they know the most about but in fact comprehend the least.
Former journalist and rookie politician Yair Lapid's new party is off to a problematic start. Lapid's choice of the name 'Atid' for his new political party has created yet another controversy for the political neophyte; it is similar enough to Atid Echad - an immigrant party with mostly Ethiopian support - to cause confusion to voters, and possible legal action by its chair Yechezkel Stelzer.
Vaknin has been a Knesset member representing the ultra-orthodox Shas party since the beginning of Prime Minister Netanyahu's first term in 1996. Considered a maverick, he distinguished himself in his party by holding that the thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews who don't learn in Yeshiva but are registered as such should be forced to serve in the military.
MK Aryeh Eldad held a meeting with dozens of activists and supporters of the Hatikva Party at its Tel Aviv headquarters on Monday night. MK Eldad represents Hatikva in the National Union Faction.
The Palestinian news agency Ma'an quotes senior party official Nabil Shaath, who said on Monday that Fatah has decided revitalize its committee in Gaza with young leaders. Fatah will hold a meeting when PA President Mahmoud Abbas returns from an overseas trip, to discuss appointing younger members to party leadership roles in Gaza, the central […]
Former Senator Rick Santorum, who was trailing Candidate Mitt Romney in delegates and had very little hope of catching up to him in the race for the GOP nomination, announced Tuesday that he was quitting. This is a victory to the Republican establishment, as Santorum represented the conservative—some say principled—wing of the party. “We made […]
By Armin Rosen
TUNIS – More than a year after Tunisia became the first Arab country to overthrow its dictator through a popular, nonviolent uprising, two political movements are challenging Tunisia’s cosmopolitan political and social attitudes, and are threatening to reverse the country’s longstanding moderation toward Israel and Jews.
By dvora
Armed with a clever name, an award-winning chef, and a remarkable menu, Meat Me is poised to take the world of Kosher cuisine by storm.
Out of 95 thousand registered Kadima party members, only 40% voted by 10 p.m., when the polls closed. It was rumored that left-leaning Haim Ramon was planning to resign as Chair of the Kadima Council. Along with the Mofaz win, this may suggest that the party is moving to the right. It may also mean that Kadima could not be taken for granted as partnering with the left on issues such as religious vs. secular tensions.
By Rafi Harkham
Since Kadima's fracturing is inevitable, the leadership primary becomes significance in that it will determine which leader will secure the votes of those Kadima MKs whose allegiance is to the party, and not its leader.
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin announced that he has canceled a Knesset delegation's trip to the US after MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) was denied a US visa due to his past membership in Meir Kahane's political party Kach. MKs Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), Einat Wilf (Independence), and Zehava Gal-On (Meretz) were scheduled to attend a women's empowerment […]
Numerous people sent me a blog post which has been reverberating around the internet -- its title translated into English; "One who believes isn't afraid" The article is about a trip to a wedding last night in Southern Israel, and how the wedding took place, under Gazan rocket fire. ....the scene was just as it […]
By Tzvi Fishman
After his astounding speech in Congress, the GOP has been working behind the scenes to get Israeli PM Netanyahu to run for President of the U.S.A.
Francois Fillon: Jews and Muslims should reconsider "ancestral traditions...We live in a modern society."
Al Ahram reports that a women's demonstration has been planned for Thursday to coincide with International Women’s Day, in downtown Cairo. Organizers are expected to provide parliamentary leaders with 100 suggested names of prominent female Egyptian figures for inclusion in a constituent assembly that will be mandated with drawing up a new constitution. Despite the […]
It’s hard to believe it’s already here, but Purim is just a few days away. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the myriads of things we do in the days leading up to it, here are a few cute, simple, and fun ideas sure to bring smiles to everyone’s faces and get them into the Purim spirit!
Al-Ahram reports that the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) on Monday referred several articles of the law governing parliamentary polls to the State Council, the legal body tasked with deciding disputes related to the exercise of state power. The move is raising doubts in Cairo as to whether Egypt's first post-Mubarak parliamentary elections were constitutional. The […]
Lapid proclaimed that the country belongs not to interest groups, lobbyists, business tycoons, ultra-orthodox parties, stone throwers, or those who threaten army officers, but to law-abiding middle class army-serving citizens. He unabashedly identified the three main problems with politics: the current electoral system, the ultra-orthodox parties and corruption.
Welcome back to “You’re Asking Me?” where we try to answer any questions that you send in at any time. And we do mean any time.
By dvora
Chaim Amsalem, a current member of Knesset and former member of Shas, is in the midst of establishing yet another Israeli political party, called Am Shalem.
PM Netanyahu's recent opposition to two Knesset bills underscores a worrying drift in Israeli political culture from the most basic democratic governing principles like separation of powers, and checks and balances.
Lapid continues to use Facebook as the main medium for his political proclamations.
While a contentious Likud primary is expected to result in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s landslide victory over Jewish Leadership faction head Moshe Feiglin, a strong showing by the underdog has already impacted Israel’s leading party.
Raam-Ta'al MK Ahmed Tibi recently made an inflammatory speech praising martyrdom.
The Jewish Press' Knesset Insider discusses the potential for electoral reform in Israel.
My son can never get enough of his cozy teddy bears. So, for his birthday party last year we created an "in house" build-a-bear factory.
Mohamed Saad el-Katatni quoted as saying that Camp David accord "needs reevaluation".
By Sam Ser
Tzipi Livni announces Kadima primaries; Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman faces indictment
Livni was under heavy pressure from Kadima party members.
Amr Moussa is said to be leading the Egyptian presidential race.
Anglo political party threatens to bow out of municipal council if measures are not taken to prevent hostility between citizens - recommend a dialogue group of influential rabbis.
MK Anastassia Michaeli throws a cup of water at MK Ghaleb Majadle after he calls her "fascist," tells her to "shut up."
By Sam Ser
In the past few years, Lapid had talked of wanting to eventually enter politics, and his newspaper columns increasingly resembled a political platform.
By Ira Heller
What is it about a diamond that makes it the most valuable gemstone known to man?