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JFNA in the Israeli Press

Jewish leaders to Kerry: Confront Hungary’s rising anti-Semitism

(Times of Israel) Acute concerns over growth of extremist party, violence against Jews, cemetery desecration, widespread anti-Jewish sentiment

Federation Projects in the Israeli Press

Jewish World: The changing American Jew

(Jpost) Director of the UJA-Federation of New York’s Commission on the Jewish People, talks about the evolving federation world.

From the Diaspora – with Love: Courting New Friends

(Times of Israel) The Delegation visit was a project of Partnership2Gether, a joint program that ties Pittsburgh to Karmiel and the Misgav region and seeks to build connections between people of all ages and interests.

Welfare and Social Issues

Job training, loans ease Arab youth unemployment

(Times of Israel) Until deeper economic reforms can kick in, the Middle East has a quick fix for lack of jobs created by population explosion

Civil Society

OECD report: Israel the member with highest poverty rate

(Ynet) Findings make uncomfortable reading, attesting to widening salary gaps, growing number of children living in poverty

AG eases parenthood process for same-sex couples

(Ynet) Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein rules courts can recognize non-biological father's parenthood without adoption process.

Weinstein: There is no magic solution for infiltrator problem

(Israel Hayom) Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein meets with residents of southern Tel Aviv whose neighborhoods are suffering from a rise in crimes involving African infiltrators, pledges to resolve the situation.

Social Protests

Arabs, leftists mark Nakba Day at Tel Aviv University

(Ynet) 'If we want things to change here, we'll have to recognize the Arabs' suffering,' history student says during ceremony marking 'catastrophe' of Israel's inception in 1948. Rightist: They can go to Syria.

Religious Pluralism in Israel

Police Bar Jews from Temple Mount As Muslims Threaten More Riots

(Israel National News) Police barred Jews from entering the Temple Mount after Muslim groups threatened violence over a planned visit by Jewish children.

Jewish World

Compromise and prayer

(Jpost) For the first time since they began their campaign for gender equality 24 years ago, police were called in not to arrest the Women of the Wall, but to protect these women’s right to serve God the way they choose.

Mikveh and the single girl

(Times of Israel) The Chief Rabbinate agreed last week to adopt a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy relating to the use of mikveh ritual baths. 

'Robinson's Arch construction plans must be held'

(Jpost) "It’s absolutely not an option to build anything near Robinson’s Arch," says HU professor of archeology.

Israeli Economy

12,000 protest against Lapid's austerity measures

(Ynet) Less than two years after taking to the streets, social protest activists resume battle against Netanyahu's economic policy.

Cabinet passes State budget

(Ynet) Finance minister's budget proposal for 2013-2014 approved by cabinet, includes cuts to most ministries, raising of income tax, VAT; 'cruelty toward citizens has become worse,' activist says.

Sport and Culture

Goodbye gangs, hello longboarding

(Times of Israel) Longboarding for Peace, a coexistence initiative started in Jaffa, spreads to cities like Houston, where gang members are putting down their guns and picking up skating.

Environment

Gleaning just like Ruth did, if she had Google Maps

(Times of Israel) A new website maps fruit trees and other edibles for free harvesting in the urban jungle, espousing a ‘waste not, want not’ philosophy that jibes well with Shavuot.

Science, Technology and Development

Tel Aviv to be the world’s first ‘digitalized’ city

(Times of Israel) Digi-Tel will provide residents of the Big Orange with everything they need to know online – and the wifi is free.

Op-Eds and Opinion Pieces from the Israel Press

Ma'ariv asserts that, "The [recent] attack in Syria proved to the Iranians and to Hezbollah that Israel sees everything that they are doing," and ventures, "Now they will think very carefully if it pays for them to continue smuggling weapons." The author cites foreign sources that the surprise among those targeted was near total and that the attack, "was measured, carried out according to very precise intelligence, well-timed [and] without civilian losses," and adds, "In order for deterrence to be credible, it must tell the enemy: We have the ability to strike you hard, we are determined to act and we have intelligence that gets us into your bedrooms."

Yisrael Hayom notes that Shavuot also marks the 72nd anniversary of the 1941 "Farhud" pogrom in Iraq, "in which 137 souls were murdered and hundreds were injured." The author reminds his readers that, "The number of Jews who experienced on their flesh the history of the Jewish communities in Arab lands* is shrinking," and calls on the government to do more to commemorate their heritage, "so that we will not fall prey to Arab propaganda." The paper remarks that, "One can assume that if Jews remained in the Arab countries, they would be punching bags in the current struggles in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen and Syria."