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Israel News for May 9, 2017

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Wild Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Istanbul last night. The meeting came after Erdoğan admonished Israel for its attempt to pass a bill curtailing the Muezzin calls to prayer via loudspeaker, and called for Muslims to go to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the hundreds of thousands to show solidarity with the Palestinians and protect the site’s Muslim character.

According to the Palestinian Ma’an news agency, Hamdallah updated Erdoğan on the Palestinian political situation with Israel and about “Israeli violations.” He also provided details on the ongoing hunger strike of Palestinian security prisoners.

Hamdallah said that Erdoğan “confirmed the necessity of unifying efforts to protect Jerusalem against attempts of judaization,” and that he called on Muslims to increase their visitation to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Erdoğan stressed that the only solution to the Israel Palestinian conflict was to pressure Israel to establish a Palestinian state in the “occupied territories”.

He slammed Israel saying, “Israel keeps getting away from punishment which leads it to escalated aggression against Palestinians,” and that all peace making attempts will fail “unless Israel is held accountable for its crimes.”

After the meeting, Erdoğan spoke with Israeli Foreign Ministry Director General Yuval Rotem and Turkish Amassador to Israel, Kemal Okem to “clarify” his comments.

Israel issued an official statement in which it said that it was “worried” about Erdoğan’s anti-Israel statements that, “we don’t want an escalation. We can end this crisis.”

Don’t forget, Israel and Turkey signed a reconciliation agreement last year, normalizing diplomatic and economic relations.

For further reading click here.

Embassy Omission
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia posted a State Department video on its website highlighting President Trumps upcoming Middle East trip to Saudi Arabia and Israel. But then it apparently removed the video and posted an edited version which left out any mention of Israel.

Representative Elliot Engel (NY), a senior Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson complaining. In the letter Engel wrote, “At a time when the United States should be encouraging the governments of the region—and their people—to promote tolerance, respect and mutual recognition this video implies that the US accepts Saudi Arabia’s public rejectionist position toward Israel.”

He also wrote, “This video plays into a rejectionist narrative and thus has no place in any social media—or any other form of communication—associated with the United States government.”

The video was subsequently taken down and the original video, including Israel, was reposted.

A State Department official said that the embassy had taken the video from the social media account of a private Saudi citizen without realizing that Israel had been edited out. He said,“Upon learning this, the U.S. Embassy immediately corrected the error, took down the video, and loaded the correct version to its social media accounts. The Embassy expresses its regret for this inadvertent mistake.”

For further reading click here.

Abbas Willing
PA President Abbas told reporters in Ramallah today that he would be willing to meet with PM Netanyahu if the meeting was organized by President Trump. He said, “We told him [Trump] that we were ready to collaborate with him and meet the Israeli PM under his auspices to build peace.”

For further reading click here.

IDF Shabbat
According to Israeli law, the IDF must observe the laws of Shabbat and Kashrut (kosher), unless there is a pressing military reason not to do so. Religious soldiers on a tank base in the Golan have complained that two weeks ago, on Shabbat, a group of tourists led by an influential tour guide arrived at the base. The base commander, after speaking with the tour guide, ordered a tank to maneuver outside of the base as a show for the tourists. This violates the Shabbat rules.

Also on the same base, all of the Shabbat food was negligently left out and spoiled. So the kitchen staff entered the kitchen, locked the door, and cooked new food — on Shabbat (cooking on Shabbat is prohibited).

One of the religious commanders on the base complained to the base commander and to the base rabbi. The IDF is investigating the incidents.

For further reading click here.

Fidget Peace
If you have young kids you know what a fidget spinner is. For those who don’t know, it’s a small propeller-like spinner that kids hold with two fingers and spin. And spin…and spin. Pretty simple concept. The toy is said to apparently reduce stress. It turns out that the inventor, Catherine Hettinger, came up with the idea during a trip to Israel in the 1980s, during the First Intifada, as a way to distract the “young boys throwing rocks at police officers.” She first considered designing a “soft rock that kids could throw,” saying that, “It started as a way of promoting peace.”

Maybe the fidget spinner is the answer we’ve been waiting for to bring peace to the world?

For further reading click here.

IDF women combat

Israel News for March 8, 2017

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Defense Meetup
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman met on Tuesday in Washington with U.S. Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis. The two discussed security issues shared by Israel and the US including Iran, Syria and Lebanon. They agreed on the need to act to strengthen the moderate forces in the region and create a coalition to fight terrorism.

Lieberman told Mattis, “We need an active America in the region.” He also said, “The strategic cooperation between Israel and the U.S. is vital and crucial not only for the security of Israel, but for security and stability throughout the Middle East and this also has implications on global security.”

Lieberman also met with US Vice President Mike Pence. According to a White House statement, the vice president underscored the “unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to upholding Israel’s qualitative military edge.” The two agreed on the need to “counter threats posed by Iran and its proxies as well as terrorist organizations,” and discussed ways in which the American and Israeli militaries could cooperate to address threats. Syria and other issues in the Middle East were also discussed.

Lieberman thanked Pence for his condemnation of recent antisemitic incidents in the United States.

According to a statement by the defense minister’s office, Lieberman told Pence that he expects to see the US embassy move to a new site in Jerusalem soon.

For further reading click here.

UN Discussions
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley met for the first time with Palestinian UN envoy Ambassador Riyad Mansour. After the meeting Haley tweeted that the Palestinians should “meet with Israel in direct negotiations rather than looking to the UN to deliver results that can only be achieved through the two parties.”

Mansour said that Haley “raised the desire to see the two parties engaging in negotiations” and indicated that the United States was considering a fresh bid to revive talks. He added, “I don’t know at what level they want to do that, but once we receive a request to that effect, we will respond to it accordingly.”

For further reading click here.

Women in IDF
IDF Chief Rabbi Yigal Levinstein condemned the idea of women serving in combat positions in the IDF, during a speech at the Bnei David pre-army preparatory yeshiva in Eli. He called the idea “insane” and questioned the femininity of women who serve in combat. He said that religious women must, under no circumstances, serve in combat roles.

Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman responded to Levinstein’s comments Tuesday, saying, “Since the founding of the state, women have served in the IDF and made a tremendous contribution to the security of Israel. Rabbi Levinstein’s tirade is not only an insult to Israeli women, but also to the IDF and its heritage and to the basic values of the State of Israel. When I return from the United States, I will reconsider the position of Rabbi Levinstein in preparing our young men for IDF service.”
 
Speaking at a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel was “proud” of its history of integrating females into its fighting forces, going back to biblical times.

He said, “Female Jewish fighters, from the time of Yael the heroine to the present — with Hannah Senesh and the fighters in the Etzel, the Palmach and the Lehi and the IDF, heroic warriors in the police and Border Police that we see here on the streets — are an active, and sometimes very senior, part of our national defense. We are proud of it, and will will further it. It’s important to say this in the most clear fashion.”

For further reading click here.

Eilat Expansion
Under a new agreement signed between the government and Eilat, nine new neighborhoods with a total of 18,372 housing units, 6,930 new hotel rooms and additional industrial zones will be built in the city. The agreement also budgets funds for transportation and other infrastructure, development of the town’s coastal strip, an international sports center, municipal parks, and a waste facility.

Eilat Mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevi commented, “The agreement, which was reached after lengthy negotiations, will cause a dramatic turnaround in construction of major infrastructure. In a city like Eilat, bypass roads, parks, beaches, and so forth will put it on the road to economic independence, and turn it into a metropolis. This is big news for Eilat residents.”

For further reading click here.

PM Smoking
One of the allegations that the Israel Police is investigating the Prime Minister for is that Netanyahu allegedly received pink champagne for his wife and cigars worth hundreds of thousands of shekels from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan. But the PM has announced that the cigar accusation cannot be true because he could not possibly have smoked such large quantities of cigars “due to a problem in his nasal cavity.” Apparently, there are several months a year when he cannot smoke at all. Netanyahu has referred the investigators to his personal physician for confirmation.

[If there’s no smoke, there’s no fire, right?]

For further reading click here.

Israel News for February 17, 2017

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US Confusion
On Wednesday President Trump lifted the spirits of PM Netanyahu and the entire right leaning Israeli political spectrum by dismissing the longstanding US two-state solution policy . It seemed to be a huge game changer.

But wait. Yesterday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said, during a press conference, that the United States “absolutely” supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and anyone who thinks it doesn’t is in “error.” In fact, she repeated and stressed several times, “We absolutely support a two-state solution.”

Earlier Thursday, the United Nations and the Arab League issued a joint statement in support of the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, saying the two-state solution is “the only way to achieve comprehensive and just settlement to the Palestinian cause.”

When asked whether the United States would carry out its obligations under a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for the establishment of two states, Haley said, “Understand that the United States supports the two-state resolution. That’s never been wavered.”

She added, “What we’re saying is, ‘OK, let’s not just talk about the old way of doing things.'” She said, “Come to the table with all the fresh atmosphere and perspectives that we now have, and think, ‘OK, what can we do knowing all of the factors, knowing where we sit present day, and how can we move forward.'”

So does the US support a two state solution or not? It seems like it does, if that’s what the Palestinians and Israelis agree upon. But if they don’t, then the US isn’t going to force them to. Everything is on the negotiating table.

In other words, the rest of the world is adamant that the two-state solution is, in the words of the U.N.’s Mideast envoy Nickolay Mladenov, “the only way to achieve the legitimate aspirations of both peoples.” The US feels that there could be other solutions, and that it will support the one that both parties agree upon — including the two state solution…and the one state solution. The art of the deal.

Also in her press conference, Haley blasted the UN’s constant bias against Israel and said, “I’m here to emphasize the United States is determined to stand up to the U.N.’s anti-Israel bias.”

For further reading click here.

Ambassador Hearing
President Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as part of his confirmation hearings. In his opening remarks Friedman apologized for a slew of remarks he made in the past against liberal Jewish groups and politicians. For example, he called the liberal Middle East policy group J Street “kapos” and the Anti-Defamation League “morons.” He also likened Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister who appeased Adolf Hitler. Friedman said that there was “no excuse” for the remarks and that they were simply “partisan rhetoric” during the heated presidential election campaign.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., the ranking member of the Foreign Relations committee (who happens to be Jewish), which must approve Friedman to advance his nomination to the full Senate, said the terms seemed to go beyond partisan rhetoric.

Cardin said he and Friedman had in common that “our parents were proud Zionists who worked and did everything they could in support for the State of Israel.” But noting his father was the president of a synagogue Cardin added, “My father taught me to respect different views.”

Cardin also said, “I’m having difficulty understanding your use of those descriptions and whether you really can be a diplomat.”

Protesters interrupted the hearings at least three times.

With a republican majority, it’s unlikely that Friedman will not be confirmed.

For further reading click here.

Hamas Rejects
A senior Hamas leader has rejected Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s offer of massive assistance to Gaza in return for Hamas giving up their rockets and attack tunnels, saying that if Gaza wanted to be like Singapore, it would have done so already. He also said that Hamas would release the bodies of Israeli soldiers held in Gaza only if Israel releases all of its Hamas prisoners.

For further reading click here.

capitol washington

Israel News for January 6, 2017

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Congress Condemns UN
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a non binding resolution that proclaims unwavering support for Israel and insists that the United States reject any future UN actions that are similarly “one-sided and anti-Israel.” The vote was 342-80, with all Republicans and many Democrats voting for the resolution.

The 80 Democrats that voted against it claimed that it contained inaccuracies and distorted the complexities of the Middle East peace process and that the Republicans were using it to attack Obama unfairly. Despite that, most of the 80 Democrats voiced their support for Israel and praised Obama for approving the $38 billion military aid package for Israel.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said, “Our government abandoned our ally Israel when she needed us the most. It is time to repair the damage done by this misguided hit job at the UN.”

Vice President elect Mike Pence tweeted, “Great to see strong bipartisan vote in Congress opposing recent UN resolution against our most cherished ally. America stands with Israel.”

A similar resolution has been introduced in the US Senate.

For further reading click here.

Jordan Warns
Jordan’s Information Minister Mohammed Momani told The Associated Press yesterday that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would constitute the crossing of a “red line” for Jordan and would “inflame the Islamic and Arab streets” and serve as a “gift to extremists.”

Momani said that moving the embassy “will have catastrophic implications on several levels, including the regional situation. It will definitely affect the bilateral relationship between countries in the region, including Jordan, and the parties that will be related to such a decision.”

He said that Jordan would use all possible political and diplomatic means to try and prevent such a decision.

For further reading click here.

PM Questioned
PM Netanyahu was questioned by police for five hours yesterday in connection with the investigation into allegations that he received gifts from businessmen. That’s something Prime Ministers are prohibited from doing due to obvious conflicts of interest. Earlier this week the PM was questioned for three hours. Netanyahu maintains that the allegations are baseless.

For further reading click here.

Haifa Shooting
The suspect in the Haifa shooting that is thought to be terror related surrendered to police yesterday. He was the object of a massive manhunt in his Haifa neighborhood. Residents of the Arab neighborhood and family members said the they do not believe that his motive was nationalistically motivated. The man that he killed, Guy Kafri, was laid to rest yesterday.

For further reading click here.

Startup Nation
Israeli startups are hard at work to make our everyday lives a bit easier and more efficient. To check out the innovative things these six startups are working on, click here.

Israel News for June 21, 2016

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Terror on 443
Terrorists threw rocks and firebombs at vehicles traveling on a stretch of route 446 near Modiin at around 1am today. They also dumped on oil on the highway, which connects the center of the country to Jerusalem. One Israeli on a bus and two tourists in a car were injured.

Shortly after the attack an officer and soldiers of the Kfir brigade passed through and launched a hunt for the terrorists. According to initial reports the soldiers apparently spotted a Palestinian vehicle, which they thought belonged to the terrorists, and opened fire on it. A 15 year old boy was killed and two adults were wounded. Two suspects were arrested and taken in for interrogation. The IDF spokesman released a statement saying that the 15 year old was probably not a terrorist.

Also last night, Israeli forces destroyed the house of Bashar Massalha, the terrorist who killed American tourist Taylor Force and injured ten others in an attack in Jaffa earlier this year. The house was located in the village of Kafr Haja near Nablus.

For further reading click here.

Lieberman in DC
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman met with US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter in Washington on Monday to discuss the military aid deal currently being negotiated. An Israeli source related that, “the conversation was good and practical, and there is a willingness to reach an agreement on aid for Israel’s missile defense system, regardless of the presidential elections in the United States. The goal is to reach an agreement as fast as possible.”

The Pentagon released a statement after the meeting saying, “Secretary Carter and Minister Lieberman reaffirmed the strength of the US- Israeli defense relationship and the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. They also discussed regional security challenges in the Middle East and areas of mutual defense cooperation.”

For further reading click here.

Divorce Rate
Moving to Israel must be help you stay married. According to a recent survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel’s divorce rate is only 13 percent. That ranks Israel 25th out of 39 developed countries. Denmark, the US and Sweden have the highest rates. Mexico, Ireland and Chile have the lowest.

The Israeli cities with the highest divorce rates are led by Eilat, with 25%, and followed by Bat Yam (22 percent), Upper Nazareth and Kiryat Yam (20 percent each), and then by Arad, Sderot and Acre (19 percent each). Most of those cities happen to have a predominantly lower income population with high proportions of Sephardim and Russian immigrants.

The places with the lowest divorce rate, all ultra Orthodox, are Rechasim (5 percent), Elad (4 percent), Betar Ilit (3 percent) and Modi’in Ilit (2 percent).

Now we need a survey that indicates the happiness level of married couples vs. those who divorce.

For further reading click here.

Sheep Aliya
If you’re planning to fly El Al to Israel from Canada this summer, you might find yourself sitting next to sheep. That’s because El AL announced that will be flying a flock of 113 sheep to Israel — biblical sheep.

The sheep, which are owned by Gil and Jenna Lewinsky (related to Monica?) of British Columbia, Canada, are apparently the only ones in the world to look like the ones described in the bible that belonged to Jacob (when he worked as a shepherd for his uncle Lavan). They have speckled skin, spots on their wool, and bands on their ankles and knees.

The Lewinskys are heeding the advice of Rabbi Amram Vaknin, a kabbalist living in Sderot, who claims that the sheep of Jacob must return to the Holy Land to hasten the redemption. They believe the animals came with Jacob through Canaan to Egypt, then with the Exodus to North Africa, and from there to Spain, England and then to North America. Quite a journey.

The deal was brokered by Israel’s embassy in Ottawa, which last month publicly offered its support to the effort. In February, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Rafael Barak, visited the family’s farm in Abbotsford, about 40 miles east of Vancouver, and reportedly witnessed the birth of a lamb.

The sheep are currently extinct in Israel. Is this the breakthrough we’ve all been waiting for?

For further reading click here.

Yoga Pics
American art photographer Robert Sturman photographs yoga practitioners in poses throughout the world. He’s now added Israel to his portfolio. To see some of his amazing Israel based yoga photos, click here.

Israel News for June 2, 2016

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Terror Attack
A female terrorist attempting to stab soldiers near the West Bank settlement of Einav, in northern Samaria, was shot and killed before causing any harm.

For further reading click here.

Kahalon Calls Herzog
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, the leader of the Kulanu party, called on opposition leader Isaac Herzog to join the government in order to advance the peace process. Kahalon urged Herzog “not to miss the historic window of opportunity that has been created. You don’t conduct a peace process and don’t create change from the opposition.”

There have recently been rumors of a potential peace summit sponsored by the Egyptians that would be based on the Arab League peace plan, which the Prime Minister has spoken positively about.

Kahalon said, “The rumors and talk of a substantial diplomatic process in our region are based on a lot more than just hints in the newspapers. There is the possibility of a significant change in direction on a regional level.”

He added, “This is not the time or place to go into detail, but we have a rare opportunity for a significant change in direction on a regional level. The holding of a regional conference in connection with which all of the interested parties in the region would be represented,is an important, desirable and proper plan. The Kulanu party and I will support it and we will advance it with all our strength.”

“Such a conference will change the rules of the game, will open additional channels to diplomatic progress and contain [the means] to extract the relations between us and our neighbors from the stalemate that they are in. Such a step will be a significant stimulus to the additional expansion of the coalition, and I don’t think the Zionist Union can refrain from taking part in such a challenge.”

Sounds like something real might be cooking in the peace pot.

For further reading click here.

US Embassy Move
In 1995 the US Congress passed The Jerusalem Embassy Act, which stated that “the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.” Built into the act was a waiver authority allowing the president to postpone the move, in the interests of national security, for six month intervals. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama have all issued waivers at six-month intervals ever since.

Yesterday President Obama renewed the waiver. In a memorandum to Secretary of State of Kerry, Obama wrote, “Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 7(a) of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45) (the “Act”), I hereby determine that it is necessary, in order to protect the national security interests of the United States, to suspend for a period of 6 months the limitations set forth in sections 3(b) and 7(b) of the Act.”

Doesn’t seem likely that the embassy will be moving anytime soon.

For further reading click here.

Kotel Controversy
Leaders of the Conservative and Reform movements warned PM Netanyahu that there would be a major crisis in relations with world Jewry if the controversy over the new egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall was not resolved over the next few weeks.

The PM told the leaders that he was committed to implementing the plan but suggested that certain modifications would be necessary to overcome objections voiced by his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners. 

The government approved the plan to create a new egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall in January, but since then, no progress has been made in its implementation. The Ultra-Orthodox parties are objecting to a common entrance to the new space that would be shared with the existing Kotel entrance. They want the are new area to have a separate entrance.

The Ultra-Orthodox parties also do not want the new prayer area to be directly funded by the government and they oppose granting the Conservative and Reform movement representation on the governing board that will administer the area.

The PM needs the Ultra-Orthodox parties to uphold the government and its slim majority in the Knesset. So he needs to walk a fine line in order to solve this Kotel controversy.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for March 23, 2016

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AIPAC Apologizes
In response to Donald Trump’s comments in his speech to AIPAC referring to President Obama as the worst thing to ever happen to Israel, the President of AIPAC, Lillian Pinkus, along with other leaders of the organization, apologized to the President.

She said, “From the moment this conference began, until this moment, we have preached a message of unity. We have said, in every way we can think of: Come together. But last evening, something occurred which has the potential to drive us apart, to divide us. We say, unequivocally, that we do not countenance ad hominem attacks, and we take great offense to those that are levied against the president of the United States of America from our stage.”

Pinkus, her voice choking at points, added, “While we may have policy differences, we deeply respect the office of the President of the United States and our President Barack Obama. There are people in our AIPAC family who were deeply hurt last night and for that we are deeply sorry. We are deeply disappointed that so many people applauded a sentiment that we neither agree with nor condone.”

The people Pinkus was referring to who were “deeply hurt” seemed to be very well hidden among the thousands of AIPAC members who gave Trump several standing ovations and bursts of rousing applause during his speech.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the conference. He said that he hoped the United States would continue to reject any move towards a UN Security Council resolution backing Palestinian statehood and that he was prepared to negotiate a two-state solutions with the Palestinians “without preconditions” but that PA President Abbas was against the idea.

For further reading click here.

UN Returns
United Nations peacekeeping forces are set to return to the Syrian side of the Israeli-Syrian border. The troops had been stationed there from 1974 until 2014, when they were forced to leave as a result of the ongoing Syrian civil war and the rebel takeover of the Syrian Golan Heights.

Since their withdrawal the forces have been stationed on the Israeli side of the border, primarily monitoring Israeli troop movements. Israel is anxious to get the UN forces back on the Syrian side. The current cease fire agreement in Syria has finally made that possible.

While the UN troops do not add anything to Israel’s defense capability, they do provide first hand reports to the Security Council regarding the conflict and the danger it poses to Israel.

For further reading click here.

Dairy Wars
Since March 10th, Israel has banned Palestinian made dairy products from entering Jerusalem. Yesterday the Palestinian Authority retaliated by banning products made by five major Israeli companies including Tnuva, Strauss, the Jafora-Tabori beverages company, Soglowek, and Tara Dairy.

Sales in the PA by Tnuva, Strauss, and Jafora-Tabori are each believed to amount to hundreds of millions of shekels, while sales there by Soglowek and Tara are fairly small.

So if the Palestinians are forced to buy Palestinian products and the Israelis, Israeli products, won’t that just leave the companies in the same revenue position they were in initially? Hmm.

For further reading click here.

Supreme Court
Last week we told you that the Tel Aviv Rabbinical Court had sentenced the father of a man who had refused to give his wife a divorce for over 11 years to 30 days in jail for supporting his son in his refusal. The court was praised by many for its bold stand against husbands refusing to grant divorces.

Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that the father must have the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Rabbinical Court and cannot be jailed in the interim. He is, however, still banned from leaving Israel.

For further reading click here.

Purim Begins
The holiday of Purim begins tonight with the reading of the Megillah (the Book of Esther) and continues tomorrow with a repeat performance along with more fun stuff including lots of eating, drinking, giving charity and exchanging gifts (of food). Stay tuned for our special Purim issue tomorrow.
Today is the Fast of Esther (good opportunity to drop a few extra pounds).
Happy Purim!!!