Israel
At J Street Conference, presidential candidates say Israel policy is due for a reboot
By Yonat Shimron — October 28, 2019
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Sen. Bernie Sanders' popularity with young people and his willingness to take a tough stand on Netanyahu, Trump, the settler movement and the failed peace process won him exuberant support here.
Demi Lovato’s controversial trip to Israel included exploring Jewish roots
By Michele Chabin — October 18, 2019
While in the Holy Land, Lovato and her mother met with an expert on Sephardic Jews, who are descended from Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal 500 years ago.
Academic antisemitism returns
By Jeffrey Salkin — September 20, 2019
Has Judaism become not cool for school?
A look at Judaism’s place in Israeli politics
By Ilan Ben Zion — September 18, 2019
(AP) — While the country's Jewish majority is largely secular, parties representing the ultra-Orthodox minority have traditionally wielded considerable political power.
Archaeologists uncover mosaic floor from 5th century church near Sea of Galilee
By Michele Chabin — September 16, 2019
JERUSALEM (RNS) — A fire that destroyed an ancient Holy Land church near the Sea of Galilee around 700 CE appears to have preserved the church’s beautiful mosaic floor, which includes depictions of baskets, loaves and fish as well as inscriptions.
Bibi is wrong about HBO’s ‘Our Boys’
By Jeffrey Salkin — September 5, 2019
Bibi got it wrong. "Our Boys" shows Israel in all its rich complexity.
Why Trump’s tweets on Omar and Tlaib go to the heart of American Jewish politics
By Noam Pianko — August 26, 2019
(The Conversation) — The president’s recent tweets have capitalized on a tension embedded within two paradigms of the place of Israel in American Jewish life.
American Jews are loyal to the vision of America
By Jeffrey Salkin — August 23, 2019
Politically speaking, this has been the most dangerous week in American Jewish history.
Trump: Any Jew voting Democratic is uninformed or disloyal
By Jonathan Lemire — August 21, 2019
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump's claim triggered an uproar from critics who said the president was trading in anti-Semitic stereotypes amid an ongoing feud with Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
Confessions of a disloyal Jew
By Mark Silk — August 21, 2019
(RNS) — On Tuesday, President Trump said, 'I think that any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.' Of the two, I have to choose disloyalty — and I'm proud of it.
Israel’s ‘PR Masada’ over Omar and Tlaib violates Zionism
By Jeffrey Salkin — August 17, 2019
(RNS) — We did not create Israel so that she could resemble a ghetto — physically, mentally and politically.
I’m a rabbi, and I understand Israel is not a democracy
By Alissa Wise — August 16, 2019
(RNS) — I believe one day U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib will be able to visit her grandmother without forfeiting her commitment to justice to do so. That day is hastened when we see Israel for what it is: not a flawed democracy, but no democracy at all.
Israeli court fails to stop city concert that barred men and women sitting together
By Bob Smietana — August 16, 2019
JERUSALEM (RNS) — An Israeli city wanted to ban men and women from sitting together at a publicly funded concert aimed at an ultra-Orthodox audience. Women's advocates said the concert violated anti-discrimination laws. Israel's high court agreed, but the ruling came too late to stop the concert.
Israel grants Tlaib West Bank visit on humanitarian grounds
By Isaac Scharf — August 16, 2019
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's interior minister said that Tlaib had requested and been granted permission to enter the West Bank to see relatives, including her 90-year-old grandmother.
Israel will ban entry to outspoken US congresswomen, official says
By Ilan Ben Zion — August 15, 2019
JERUSALEM (AP) — The move comes shortly after President Trump tweeted that "it would show great weakness" if Israel allowed them in.
