The Law for Declaring War on Protests

Inside the Jewish Fundamentalists’ Joyous, Deadly Strategy for COVID-19

Praying as usual, playing with death: Ultra-Orthodox Jews will shape the Jewish future. That’s why their response to coronavirus is our problem too

Never mind the China hawks, Xi Jinping actually seems interested in global governance

When it came to portraying Asia’s biggest economy as a torch-bearer for multilateralism, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s United Nations speech...

As Sabah poll looms, why some East Malaysians are calling for secession

Unity is a common theme every year on Malaysia Day, the holiday celebrated last week that marks the day the country became a federation in...

Hours before full lockdown set to begin, Knesset yet to give final okay

With less than seven hours to go until sweeping new limitations meant to curb a runaway coronavirus outbreak were set to go into effect, Knesset...

Doubts whether protest, prayer limits will pass on Friday as MKs bicker over law

With hours to go until the start of a lockdown, lawmakers on Friday continued to haggle over a controversial legal amendment, casting doubt over...

Hundreds of protesters gather outside PM’s residence, vow to keep demonstrating

Hundreds of people took part in demonstrations calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation around the country Thursday, as...

(POGLED) Pod masko odgovornosti

Bržkone je v človekovi naravi ali preprosto v naravi stvari, da nekate- re reči resnično dojamemo šele, ko se nas neposredno dotaknejo in jih...

The election of Biden: Anything new for the Palestinians?

It is clear that the election of Joe Biden, the Democratic Party candidate for president of the US, would bring changes to the US domestic scene,...

Coronavirus crisis tests resilience of Europe’s dwindling Jewish communities

JTA — With 20 years of experience as a professional singer, Petra Ernyei had enjoyed a reasonable level of job security. During the High Holidays...

Navy, Defense Ministry tests new missile for corvettes

The Israeli Navy and Defense Ministry tested a new sea-to-sea missile off the Israeli coast earlier this month, paving the way for their full use...

Deplorable act

Firm response to the North's actions must follow The government gave a shocking announcement on Thursday that North Korea killed and burned the...

Haaretz Cartoon

How Trump fell out of love with his generals, and why the feeling is mutual

U.S. President Donald Trump picked retired generals for some of his most senior national security posts when he took office and boasts of heavy...

Poets capture abnormality of daily life during the pandemic

A poem written back on April 12 brings back the sense of bewilderment and unease felt around the nation six months ago, when a state of emergency...

Closer look called for before taking action to lower cellphone bills

When a market fails to function properly, the government may have to step in. But the decision to take such a step should be preceded by a careful...

China’s Inevitable Low-Carbon Future

BEIJING – In mid-January, a group of senior Chinese officials and executives representing 28 influential industry associations gathered at an...

The Heart of the New Cold War

Egypt’s September protests: Indications and signs

The Egyptian people have been taking to the streets, and although small and sporadic initially, the protests have been accelerating day by day....

Ko ledeniki jočejo

September se še ni končal, končali pa so se septembri iz prejšnjih let. Od zadnjih desetih jih je bilo v Sloveniji kar šest pretoplih. Najbolj je...

Teze za strategijo zelene in digitalne prihodnosti

Od tiste strategije iz leta 2005 in izvedbenega paketa reform slovenska država praktično nima več strategije razvoja. Če seveda zanemarimo razne...

Global climate strikers take on inactive leaders

In the first global strike of this pandemic year, citizens the world over will be shouting in unison for bold climate action. It's time for leaders...

Italy’s ring-wing alliance blows up, with Salvini under fire

Analysis. Salvini is not budging. No self-criticism. No admission of wrongs. The Lega will create a secretariat. written by Andrea Colombo Topic...

Save Yourself

You need to write 500 words a day, six days a week, through December 31, 2020. You, yes you reading this right now. You ended up here because you...

Virus czar: Reopening schools with older kids was ‘failure’ on my watch

AP — When Dr. Ronni Gamzu, one of Israel’s leading public health experts, was named the country’s coronavirus czar in mid-July, he was hailed...

Playing Hide and Seek on Yom Kippur

Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, describes the High Holidays as a game of hide and seek. It feels like God is hidden, so we seek.  We try...

The Battle to Replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court

As most of you know, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing has left a vacancy on the Supreme Court to be filled. As I predicted in my last blog a fierce...

Ruth’s Song

In early 2016, I heard my colleague Cantor Sheera Ben-David sing a song. The song was about an unexpected, yet real fact regarding the life of...

Being Complete with G-d Doesn’t Mean Having to be Perfect

Que Sera Sera[i] was a popular song in the late 1950s that my mom and dad z”l would often sing to us when we were young, whenever we worried too...

Come and drink

In the opening passage of Haazinu, Moses compares his words with the different natural events, all somehow connected with water. He speaks about...

Teach me how to fail

The people of Israel have messed up awfully. Not long after hearing the 10 Commandments, they have built an exotic golden calf, an alluring idol...

Why I Won’t Be Going to Shul This Yom Kippur

In Israel, indoor synagogues will be allowed to meet for Yom Kippur, however, many medical experts are opposed to any type of indoor prayer...

Yom Kippur: The Delicate Dance Between Life & Death

Inherent in a rabbi’s job description is to provide pastoral care for those whose lives are at coming to an end. It is a solemn duty to attend to...

The Idea of a Bridge

One August morning, anticipating the whirlwind of the high holidays and the return to school in our pandemic-altered world, I walked by myself along...

Parshat Ha’azinu: Finding the Right Torah

Rabbi David Aaron once shared a thought that was so radical, so profound, that it initially came as an alien concept; in truth, its depth describes...

Why Doctors Go To Gehinnom and What That Means For The Rest Of Us

Over the last six months the plight of medical professionals struggling against the coronavirus has been a tragically reoccurring headline....

Corona lesson for Yom Kippur—morality, not rights

There are no absolute rights. Not the right of free speech Not the right to assemble. Not the right to pray in a synagogue. There’s a cacophony...

A Zionist ‘Al Chet’

For the sin we have committed by diminishing the sanctity of Jewish lives And for the sin we have committed by diminishing the sanctity of Arab...

Present Tense

It is incredibly hard for me to remain present. I am constantly tempted by distractions, worrying about the future, trying to balance attention to...

‘The Buck Stops Here,’ Words That Don’t Connect for Netanyahu

Democrats Must Finally Play Hardball

BERLIN – Around the world, right-wing populists are hollowing out democracy and the rule of law. But unlike many twentieth-century dictators,...

ANTIFA, Red Herrings and Fanning the Flames of Discord!

It should come as no surprise that there are many Red Herrings flying in the run up to the US presidential elections. Watching the spectrum of news...

IDF punishes officers, expels 2 cadets from course over virus outbreak on base

The Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday that a number of officers were disciplined and two cadets were expelled from a course over a...

A DIY Sightseeing Tour Along Israel’s Borders

Just before Israel’s second lockdown began last week, I had the opportunity to take a trip up north for some peace and quiet before being confined...

Trump said what???

Here are three questions one might ask former V-P Joe Biden: (1) Mr. Biden, after the election, will you be attending Trump’s inauguration? (2)...

Fearing Death, Choosing Life

“It is fitting for every person who has fear of Heaven to be anguished and concerned regarding the destruction of the Temple.”  So goes the...

Paradise Lost — The Ashkenazi-Mizrachi Fault Line

My childhood village is so far away these days, yet I never really left it. I’ve been aware of this notion, this conundrum for a long time, yet...

Steps to Healing

I always hate it when people preach forgiveness.  Don’t misunderstand me — I do think they’re right on every point. The main idea behind...

Normalizations Less Normal: Israel, Kosovo, UAE

The “Abraham Accords” among Israel, the UAE and Bahrain came hot on the heels of mutual diplomatic recognition between Israel and Kosovo earlier...

When delaying burial honors the deceased: RBG and Jewish law

Many Jewish friends have been commenting  in social media  about the decision to allow Justice Ginsburg to lie in repose at the Supreme Court and...