The so-called Arab Spring, a glimmer of hope for millions of citizens living under authoritarian rule in Arab countries, has become, over the past year, a fading opportunity as Egypt remains chaotic and others, including Libya and Tunisia, continue to be unstable.But it is Syria which has dominated the headlines. Read More »
10964 posts
Jerusalem Post 
Biden meets human rights advocates on China
WASHINGTON – US Vice President Joe Biden and a group of human rights advocates discussed the “deterioration” of the rights situation in China, the White House said on Thursday, signaling that the issue is likely to figure in his talks with China’s vice president next week. Read More »
Consider This: A jubilee year
With the Queen of England celebrating her Jubilee Year, and this week’s worshipful MP visit to hate-preacher Abu Hamza in a high-security prison, I think the time has come for a few words about what is going on in Britain.To be quite honest, I started life as an Anglophile.My bedtime story was David Copperfield . Read More »
S. Sudan mulls oil pipeline through Ethiopia, Djibouti
JUBA – South Sudan is considering building an oil pipeline through Ethiopia and Djibouti, officials said on Thursday, weeks after the new country shut down crude production in a row over export transit fees with Sudan. Read More »
Qaida leader says Somalia’s Shabaab joins group
DUBAI – Al-Qaida’s leader Ayman al-Zawahri said Somalia’s militant group al Shabaab had joined the global network, in a video issued on Thursday according to the SITE online monitoring service. Read More »
Another Tack: Sabine’s misrepresented murder
By August 11, 1942, pioneer psychoanalyst Sabine Spielrein must have ditched all illusions about German civility. On that day, she and her daughters – accomplished cellist Renate, 28, and promising violinist Eva, 18 – were, like thousands of other horrified Jews, force-marched through the central streets of the Russian city of Rostov- on-Don. Read More »
Eisenbud’s Odyssey
I have always harbored pronounced antipathy toward those who judge people based on the color of their skin or geographical origin. I never found it any different than anti-Semites who judge me based on my religion.It’s a hateful and shameful practice, rooted in ignorance, fear and false elitism. Read More »
Tradition Today: What Israelis believe
‘Jewish Israelis becoming more religious, poll finds,’ proclaimed a recent headline in The Jerusalem Post (January 27). Haaretz was even more impressed, using a large bold, two-line front-page headline reporting on a survey that found a “record number of Israeli Jews believe in God. Read More »
Ayalon calls on UN to implement oil embargo on Iran
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon called on the UN Thursday to implement an oil embargo on Iran to pressure the Islamic Republic over its controversial nuclear program. Read More »
S. Sudan oil shutdown could fuel inflation, unrest
JUBA – South Sudan’s shutdown of its oil production could stoke inflation and unrest unless the new nation can find alternative sources of funding to help prop up its currency, a senior finance ministry official said on Thursday. Read More »
Gov’t to fine, indict employers of S. Sudanese, Ivorians
The Population, Immigration, and Borders Authority (PIBA) said Thursday they will begin taking steps to crack down on those employing citizens of South Sudan and the Ivory Coast.According to PIBA, they will begin levelling fines and indictments against those employing Ivorians on March 3rd, and against those employing South Sudanese on April 1st. Read More »
Off The Beaten Track: The glory of trees
Joe Yudin owns Touring Israel , a company that specializes in “Lifestyle” tours of Israel. Happy is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. Read More »
Alleged al-Quds Brigade activist from Gaza indicted
The Southern District Attorney’s Office served an indictment in the Beersheba District Court on Thursday afternoon, charging a Gaza man with a series of national security offenses. Read More »
Rivlin bans lobbyists from most of the Knesset
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin announced limitations on lobbyists’ activities in the Knesset on Thursday that go beyond those he had previously announced.Employees of Gilad Lobbying may no longer have permanent entry passes to the Knesset, and Rivlin plans to examine whether their lobbyist licenses can be rescinded. Read More »
Foreign Ministry issues travel warning for the Maldives
The Foreign Ministry has warned Israeli travelers to stay out of the Maldives after a police mutiny led to the Madlives’s president to resign. The Foreign Ministry urged Israelis on the island nation to be wary and to avoid the capital Male or any government institution or populated areas. Read More »
Report: US officials say Israel, MEK killed Iran scientists
US officials say the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists have been carried by an Iranian opposition group with logistical and financial support by the Mossad, NBC News reported Thursday. Read More »
UAE urges G8, IMF to deliver Arab Spring pledges
ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates urged the international community on Thursday to deliver on pledges of billions of dollars of aid that was promised to Arab countries after last year’s uprisings but has not been disbursed. Read More »
Report: Limmud conference scheduled for Beijing
A Limmud International conference is in the works for Beijing, The Jewish Chronicle reported on Wednesday. The initiative for the event comes as the Chinese capital has “reached a critical mass of Jews who are interested in getting involved with Jewish events and building a sense of community,” organizer Jonathan Dworkin said. Read More »
Iran’s seaborne trade suffers as sanctions mount
LONDON – Iran’s seaborne trade is withering as sanctions are stepped up against the Islamic Republic, freezing bank finance and deterring many international trade and shipping companies from getting involved in deals, industry sources say. Read More »
Ask the Barman: Irish charm
Somewhat of a Tel Aviv institution among locals and tourists alike, there’s never a dull moment at Irish pub Molly Blooms. With a great selection of Irish whiskies and a relaxed atmosphere, it’s clear to see why the place has a loyal following. Bartender Eliad fits right in with a laid-back attitude and a desire to put people at ease. Read More »
J’lem: Man arrested in Armenian Quarter for alleged rape
Police indicted a 71-year-old man from the Old City of Jerusalem on Wednesday who is suspected of raping young girls in the Armenian Quarter. The man, Sharif Shawalha, owned a kiosk inside the Armenian monastery, and is suspected of raping at least four girls inside the monastery between 1999 and 2002. Read More »
Labor Court extends deadline for deal to end strike
At 3 p.m. Thursday, National Labor Court President Judge Nili Arad agreed to give the Treasury and the Histadrut until 6 p.m. to submit a further joint report of their progress, and asked them to also notify the court of their position regarding the Treasury’s request to stop the strike. Read More »
3.1 magnitude earthquake shakes North; no injuries
A small earthquake struck northern Israel on Thursday. Measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale, it sent tremors through the area between Safed and Tiberias. A number of people contacted the police following the earthquake to say they felt the tremors, but no resulting damages or injuries were reported. Read More »
Lindenstrauss distributes final draft of Carmel Fire report
The State Comptroller, Judge Emeritus Micha Lindenstrauss, sent the final draft of his detailed report about the Carmel Fire to ministers and officials on Thursday. Read More »
Traders: Iran paying for grain with gold, oil
PARIS/HAMBURG – Iran is seeking to close grain purchases using gold and oil as payment, and has paid in yen for a large volume of wheat in its first deal since western sanctions against Tehran started choking imports of food staples, European wheat exporters said. Read More »
Chile prosecution ‘suspends procedure’ against Rotem Singer
Chile’s state prosecution on Wednesday dropped charges against an Israeli backpacker suspected of accidentally starting a massive brushfire in the Torres del Paine national park last month. Read More »
Peace Now targeted in latest ‘price tag’ attack
Extremists vandalized again in Jerusalem in an apparent “price tag” attack against Peace Now’s Jerusalem offices. The extremists sprayed “No leftists, no terror attacks” on the fence outside of the office, located in the German Colony neighborhood. Police opened an investigation. Read More »
Iran turns to India for wheat as sanctions dry up palm oil
NEW DELHI – Iran has turned to India for wheat supplies as other sellers divert grain cargoes away from the Middle East country because of sanctions-related payments problems that have caused palm oil imports to grind to a halt. Read More »
Local authorities protest contract worker deal
Hours ahead of a deal agreed upon by the Histadrut Labor Federation and the Finance Ministry being finalized and signed, the Union of Local Authorities said Thursday that it will not be able to implement it. Read More »
Germany expels 4 Syrian diplomats after arrests
BERLIN – Germany has kicked out four Syrian diplomats after the arrest in Berlin earlier this week of two men suspected of spying on Syrian opposition activists in the country, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. Read More »
Ministry to increase bus services if strike continues
The Transportation Ministry announced that it will beef up bus services in the event that the general strike continues into the afternoon and Israel Railways does not resume its activity, Army Radio reported on Thursday.An agreement between the Histadrut Labor Federation and Treasury to end the strike was not expected to be signed until 4 p.m. Read More »
Report: New Zealand paper apologizes for Holocaust misquote
A New Zealand paper issued an apology on Tuesday over a report that allegedly misquoted a Taranaki language lecturer’s use of the term “holocaust” in describing the country’s colonization of the indigenous Maori people, according to Radio New Zealand. Read More »
US drone strike kills militant in Pakistan, officials say
PESHAWAR, Pakistan – The second US drone attack in two days in Pakistan’s North Waziristan region killed four people on Thursday, including a senior militant commander with links to al Qaida, Pakistani intelligence officials and Taliban sources said. Read More »
In the face of BDS, Penn stays positive
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions conference hosted at the University of Pennsylvania last weekend drew significant attention in Philadelphia and across the country, but supporters of Israel in the Penn community pointed to the impact of their own work and stressed the support Israel has received from Penn’s leadership. Read More »
First-ever President’s Prize honors Kissinger
Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger was among the six recipients of Israel’s first-ever President’s Prize, announced on Thursday at the home of President Shimon Peres.The prize is awarded to remarkable individuals and organizations that contributed to Israeli society and its standing in the world. Read More »
Khamenei: Iran must attack Israel by 2014
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei provided the legal and religious justification for the annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people, in a document published on conservative Farsi website Alef. Read More »
NYT: US, Israel differ on when Iran strike necessary
The United States and Israel have different ideas about when a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be warranted, the New York Times reported Thursday. Read More »
Dempsey to visit Egypt amid NGO tensions
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey is scheduled to visit Egypt this week, AFP reported Wednesday.According to the report, the visit was planned ahead of time, and includes meetings with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the general running the country, and Dempsey’s counterpart Lieutenant General Sami Enan. Read More »
Chabad: Oprah Winfrey explores Hassidic life in Brooklyn
TV personality Oprah Winfrey toured the neighborhoods of Crown Heights, Borough Park and Brooklyn Heights on Wednesday in a rare glimpse at the lives of Brooklyn’s Hassidic Jews, the Chabad organization’s website reported on Wednesday. Read More »
Five killed as Turkish forces clash with PKK militants
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey – Kurdish militants launched an attack on Turkish security forces near the Iraqi border in southeast Turkey early on Thursday, triggering clashes in which one soldier and four Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters were killed, security sources said.The PKK millitants attacked some 10 different places at 2: 30 a.m. Read More »
Thirteen killed as Assad’s forces maintain Homs assault
BEIRUT – Syrian forces killed at least 13 people in the city of Homs early on Thursday, activists said, as they sustained a bombardment of the heart of a revolt against President Bashar Assad. Read More »
China says Syrian opposition delegation visited this week
BEIJING – China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that a Syrian opposition delegation had visited the country this week and met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun.”China is willing to maintain contacts and communication with relevant Syrian opposition groups,” ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a daily news briefing. Read More »
Treasury, Histadrut on verge of signing agreement
After a night of extending deadlines and intensive negotiations, the Histadrut Labor Federation and Treasury on Thursday were on the verge of signing an agreement to end a general strike in its second day, Israel Radio reported. Read More »
Strike to continue, except at Ben Gurion Airport
The President of the National Labor Court, Judge Nili Arad, ruled early Thursday morning that the strike could continue during the day, but that there was to be no further strike at Ben Gurion Airport. Read More »
Truck bomb kills one in Thai south, 13 wounded
YALA, Thailand – A retired teacher was killed and 13 villagers wounded when a truck bomb exploded on Thursday in Thailand’s restive Muslim south, the latest in a wave of separatist violence in the region bordering Malaysia. Read More »
Beijing to cut air pollution by 15 percent by 2015
BEIJING – China’s heavily polluted capital, Beijing, plans to reduce air pollution levels by 15 percent by 2015 and 30 percent by 2020 by phasing out old cars, relocating factories and planting new forests, state media said on Thursday.The level of air pollution in the capital varies, depending on winds. Read More »
Strike negotiation deadline passes without agreement
The deadline for negotiations taking place overnight Wednesday between the Treasury and the Histadrut Labor Federation has passed without resolution. The parties had originally been scheduled to announce an update at 1 a.m., but extended that deadline multiple times until 6 a.m. Read More »
Chinese visit to US consulate an ‘isolated incident’
BEIJING – The case of a Chinese official from the southwest city of Chongqing visiting a US consulate is an “isolated incident”, a senior diplomat said on Thursday, as rumors spread that the official may have sought asylum at the consulate. Read More »
Obama: Europe needs ‘absolute commitment’ on debt crisis
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said on Wednesday Europe must not flinch as its leaders confront a raging debt crisis that he acknowledged could do real harm to the US economic recovery. Read More »
Livnat promotes film for ultra-Orthodox women
Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat met on Tuesday with 12 haredi women who in recent years began to write, produce, direct and shoot films, and who have now been chosen to take part in a project promoting film in the ultra- Orthodox sector. Read More »
IDI: Haredi middle class emerging
A small but significant segment of the haredi population is beginning to emerge, whose socioeconomic status could be defined as middle class, says a new study from the Israel Democracy Institute. Read More »
Romanian man charged with hacking NASA computers
LOS ANGELES – A Romanian man accused of hacking into NASA computers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Los Angeles under the online moniker “Iceman” has been indicted on a federal charge, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Read More »
Taming the unruly MK in its natural habitat
“MK Rabbi Gafni, your time is up,” I announced, attempting to sound authoritative, but MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) continued explaining why haredim (ultra- Orthodox) don’t serve in the IDF. “MK Gafni, unfortunately, there is no more time,” I tried again. “But this is interesting!” he insisted. Read More »
State offers seniors free tours of West Bank
Senior citizens will soon have the chance to tour for free Jewish heritage sites and settlements in the West Bank under a new initiative announced Wednesday by Dr. Leah Ness, the deputy minister for pensioners’ affairs. Read More »
Report: Greece to get extra year to achieve primary surplus
ATHENS – Greece will be given one extra year until 2015 to produce a primary surplus of 4.5 billion euros under the terms of a new bailout agreement with the European Union and the IMF, an official at one of the Greek coalition parties said on Thursday. Read More »
Steve Linde talks about the Jerusalem Post Conference
The ‘Post’ editor-in-chief talks about the conference which will bring Israeli news makers and news writers to New York in April 2012. Read More »
Migron residents pray for ‘help’ on Tu Bishvat
“God save us from evil,” prayed the people of the Migron outpost on Wednesday as the sun set over their caravan homes. The High Court of Justice has ordered the homes demolished by the end of March. Read More »
Report: US drone strike kills four in NW Pakistan
MIRANSHAH – A US drone attack in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghanistan border killed four suspected militants on Thursday, intelligence officials said, the second such attack in two days. Read More »
South Korea to order checks on Korean Air A380s
SEOUL – South Korea is to order Korean Air to carry out checks on its five Airbus A380 planes, a government official said, after European air safety officials extended inspections for A380 wing cracks to the entire superjumbo fleet. Read More »
Leave a reply:
