JFNA in the Israeli Press

'Adelson: Gingrich at the end of his line in bid'

(Jpost) (mentions JFNA Tribe Fest) Jewish billionaire reportedly foresees end of campaign for US Republican presidential candidate he has monetarily backed.

US Jewish leaders make Passover appeal for release of Alan Gross from Cuba

(Times of Israel) Raul Castro asked to free social worker, who brought Internet access to island’s Jews, ahead of ‘the holiday of freedom’

JFNA Partners in the Israeli Press

Ethiopian olim celebrate Seder amid controversy

(Jpost) Issue of Ethiopian aliya and the state’s ability to successfully absorb the new immigrants is still a point of contention.

50,000 Holocaust survivors require aid

(Ynet) Report published by Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel indicates 40% of Shoah survivors feel lonely, 12,000 lack proper heating and 5% suffer from shortage of food

Security

IDF officials: Missile attack on Israel would produce less than 300 casualties

(Haaretz) Senior defense official presents Israeli cabinet with assessment of number of people dead should Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas launch missiles at Israel; number is far lower than the one mentioned previously by Defense Minister Barak.

Welfare and Social Issues

Index measures inclusion for kids with disabilities

(Jpost) Shoham is best place for disabled to live, Holon the worst, first-ever “Inclusion Index” finds.

Social Protests

Protesters, MKs march in TA over cost of living

(Times of Israel) Demonstration occurs hours before a government-planned price hike in gasoline prices; 10 Kadima MKs attend.

'Summer protests will return and be more political'

(Jpost) Idan Miller says social justice protests will be much more political, because we realize that the changes happen in the political realm.”

Civil Society

One Palestinian protester killed, dozens arrested and wounded in IDF clashes on Land Day

(Haaretz) One Palestinian killed in clashes at Erez crossing on the Israel-Gaza border; at least 34 arrested in Jerusalem; IDF Spokesperson: This is only the start, Nakba and Naksa Day still ahead of us.

Religious Pluralism in Israel

'Knesset failing to change status quo on Haredim'

(Jpost) Religious freedom lobbying group Hiddush decries failure of Knesset to deal with concerns of religion and state.

Jewish World

Rabbi Yitzhak Levy to head conversions authority?

(Ynet) Former NPR MK said to be top candidate to take over from Rabbi Druckman

Refugees and rabbis

(Jpost) Issue of how to deal with increasing number of refugees, illegal immigrants rouses spiritual leaders to take to their pulpits.

'iEngage' aims to make Israel a Jewish value

(Jpost) The Jerusalem-based Shalom Hartman Institute aims to change conversation about Israel from a "crisis narrative" to a Jewish value.

Israel Philanthropy

First Israel philanthropy academy set to open

(Ynet) Opening of first Israel Academy of Philanthropy designed to train new generation of resource development professionals in Israel - with countrywide teaching centers

Israel-US Relations

Demonstration of Israel-U.S. Bond on Basketball Court

(Israel National News) Atlanta Hawks were presented with Maccabi jerseys in demonstration of close bond between Israel and America on basketball court.

Israeli Economy

Fueling the discontent

(The Marker) Netanyahu's personal intervention in fuel prices is solid evidence of what his main concern will be in the next round of elections: public awareness and the consumer foment.

Environment

Annual exhibit turns Tel Aviv-area sewage plant to eco art space

(Haaretz) The Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant situated in central Israel is doubling as an exhibition space for the Passover holiday, advancing environmental of ecological issues through art and design.

Science, Technology and Development

Landau: Natural gas market will promote regional stability

(Ynet) Water and Energy minister says exporting Israeli natural gas will help promote peace process

UNESCO awards Israeli biologist prestigious prize, but neglects promised update of 2010 Science Report

(Times of Israel) Weizmann Institute’s Naama Geva-Zatorsky named Europe’s top female researcher of the year

Pesach

Twenty signs of Passover in Israel

(Times of Israel) Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reveals in their latest data that 88 percent of Israelis will take part in a Seder and 47 percent eat only kosher-for-Passover items during the holiday.

Google Exodus - Passover movie

(You Tube) The Exodus with Google Maps and Wikipedia

Op-Eds and Opinion Pieces from the Israel Press

Ma'ariv believes that, "More than anything, the Machpelah House affair teaches us about the insanity that awaits us as the elections approach," and adds that, "Ministers are making combative statements, the sole objective of which is to garner greater support in the struggle within the Right.  Barak himself, who faces no primaries and whose only voter is the Prime Minister, seems free of such considerations and indeed, this time he acted according to logic and the directives of the legal system.  And yet even as he does so there are always those who suspect that his motives are not altogether clean and that he might be playing a complex game against Netanyahu."

Yisrael Hayom ventures that, "With all due respect, the rule of law is only an excuse.  Around Machpelah House are hundreds of Arab homes that were built without permits.  Barak and his lawyers are not troubled by them.  The heart of the matter is the huge difference in outlook between Barak and most Government ministers (from the Likud, Shas, Yisrael Beytenu and the Jewish Home) regarding Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, including Hebron."