JFNA in the Israeli Press

Hungarian PM’s adviser to visit Jerusalem

(Jpost) Hungarian senior prime ministerial adviser is set to arrive in Israel in late May for a series of meetings with Foreign Ministry officials on the issue of anti-Semitism in his country.

US Jewish groups help out after Oklahoma tornado

(Jpost) “Unfortunately, this isn’t the first nor will it be the last disaster to hit Oklahoma, so we’re setting up a fund to reflect that,” says Rabbi Vered Harris.

JFNA Partners in the Israeli Press

JA chairman Sharansky: Independent probe needed

(Jpost) Natan Sharansky calls for independent investigation of allegations against senior executives of the Claims Conference.

Welfare and Social Issues

Gun reforms on agenda following Beersheba shooting

(Times of Israel) Public security minister introduces several new rules for weapons, including making school security guards leave guns at work.

Young families struggle to make ends meet

(Ynet) Report released by Taub Center for Social Policy finds growing economic gap between different parts of Israeli society.

Exposed: A devastating new Claims Conference scandal

(Jpost) Despite repeated previous appeals by outside parties urging the Claims Conference to impose more effective supervision, gross negligence was the order of the day.

Comptroller flags neglect of Holocaust survivors

(Jpost) State Comptroller publishes annual report on public complaints; focus on mistreatment of survivors, special education students.

Civil Society

A gun massacre in Israel: If an entire nation had PTSD, would it feel like this?

(Haaretz - premium) Israel is a place where wars don't end. A place where, literally, if not knowingly, we bring the war home.

Why be Jewish when you can be Israeli?

(Haaretz – premium) The national system of Orthodox Jewish religious conversion has not only failed,it has backfired on its protectors.

Social Protests

Across Israel, hundreds protest against new budget

(Jpost) Social protests held for second straight week; protest in Tel Aviv draws a few hundred.

Jewish World

Reform in religious services slammed

(Ynet) Liberal movements say revolution announced by Minister Bennett is 'nothing more than a cosmetic facelift.

New bill promote equal division of Western Wall plaza between men, women

(Israel Hayom) Bill presented as controversy over Women of the Wall's demand to hold egalitarian services at the site grows.

Former IDF chief rabbi to head new religious services post

(Jpost) Former IDF chief rabbi has been appointed to head up the new Directorate for Jewish Identity, which has been created within the Religious Services Ministry.

Israel Advocacy/Relations

Into the Fray: Deciphering delegitimization

(Jpost) For a secure Israel to regain legitimacy, the idea of a Palestinian state must be discredited as a possible means of resolving conflict.

Al Durah : Why truth matters

(Times of Israel) From 9/11, to Daniel Pearl and from the blood thirsty suicide bombers striking Israel to Mohammed Merah, the myth of Mohamed Al Durah has served to justify an enormous amount of murders.

Israel-US Relations

Why is no Israeli minister in charge of relations with Diaspora Jews?

(Haaretz - premium)The broken-up Diaspora affairs portfolio, traditionally manned by governmental neophytes, has had its responsibilities split up between hard-right hawks.

U.S. Jews need to decide if they are tourists in Israel, or extended family

(Haaretz - premium) If the U.S. Jewish connection to Israel is merely linked to how cheap it is for tourists, however, then we are in serious trouble.

Economy

Who is buying Israeli homes?

(Globes) Nationwide foreign residents account for a negligible number of purchases but in some Jerusalem neighborhoods they account for 40% of purchases.

Op-Eds and Opinion Pieces from the Israel Press

Yediot Ahronot asserts that, "Price-tag actions add fuel to the fires to which the State of Israel has been marching for many years," and adds, "These actions weaken the strength of the large Arab public that desires coexistence and lends validity to the Arab fanatics and inciters." The author believes that, "The fact that the official State of Israel is fighting with full force against price-tag actions enshrines an absurd situation in which the Arab and Jewish extremists have the upper hand. In this awful equation, both peoples' extremists have great influence in setting the security and civil agenda, and neither group has any interest in weakening the flames." The paper concludes, "Just so that we understand the price of inaction, we learned yesterday about 'Torah-tag' being employed against the Women of the Wall. There is no such thing as a vacuum. Whoever fails to deal with price-tag will receive other tags."

Ma'ariv avers that, "Iran ordered Hezbollah to heat up the border with Israel on the Golan Heights for two reasons: Defeating the rebel forces and stabilizing Assad's status as a president who does not fear a clash with the great enemy – Israel." The author suggests that, "A low-intensity confrontation with Israel will divert the media spotlight to the Israeli-Syrian border at a time when Hezbollah fighters, Iranian officers and Assad's murderous Shabiha militias are continuing to slaughter Syrians in the Al-Qusair area on the Lebanese border."