The children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors usually have some kind of an affinity, if only a superficial one, with their parent’s or grandparent’s homeland. This is particularly true in the case of Poland, whose prewar Jewish population of 3.3 million was virtually annihilated by the Nazis and their local collaborators. Elise Otzenberger draws on […]
The Palestinian Arab inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have been consigned to purgatory since the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. This theme is fleshed out in Gaza, a sad and expressive documentary by Gary Keane and Andrew McConnell scheduled to be screened at the Canadian International Documentary Festival (Hot Docs) in Toronto on April 30, […]
Lea Tsemel, an Israeli criminal lawyer, is a polarizing figure in Israel. Critics vilify her as a devil’s advocate. Admirers describe her as a champion of human rights. Rachel Leah Jones, the director of Advocate, a documentary scheduled to be screened at the Canadian International Documentary Festival (Hot Docs) in Toronto on April 28, April […]
Some survivors of the Holocaust were little more than children when they were subjected to cruelty beyond the imagination. The traumas they experienced are etched into their souls, if not their faces. Several of these individuals turn up in Arthur Cary’s absorbing documentary, The Last Survivors, which will be broadcast by the PBS television network […]
Lugano is an anomaly — a Mediterranean enclave inside nordic Switzerland. In this enchanting corner of the country, known as Ticino, a visitor can often count on sunny weather and expect to see palm trees, semi-tropical vegetation and the pastel hues of southern Europe. Predominantly Italian in ambience, this pleasant city is set on the […]
One of the wonders of the world, the Dead Sea, is dying a slow death. A horrible thought, but depressingly true. Rich in medicinal minerals, like magnesium, the world’s saltiest, lowest-lying body of water has shrunk by about one-third and its depth has fallen by 65 feet. The Dead Sea has receded because it has […]
The Trump administration’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization is correct and justifiable. U.S. President Donald Trump announced this policy on April 8 and his order took effect on April 15. From this point forward, wide-ranging economic sanctions will be imposed on the IRGC and companies, organizations and […]
With the 74th anniversary of Germany’s unconditional surrender in World War II fast approaching, spare a thought for the nearly 17,000 Jewish men and women who served in Canada’s armed forces and the 450 who laid down their lives for their country. Among the fatalities was Rose Goodman of Montreal, the first female officer in […]
The two-state solution, though having been relentlessly criticized and battered by Israeli and Palestinian skeptics and rejectionists, is still theoretically on the table. Despite the shocks it has absorbed, it remains the most sane, realistic and practical approach to resolving Israel’s protracted conflict with the Palestinians by peaceful means. For Israel, it confers legitimacy on its […]
Apart from prolonging Benjamin Netanyahu’s reign as Israel’s prime minister, the April 9 election reconfirmed the perception that the Israeli left has been marginalized in Israeli politics. On Election Day, the majority of Israelis voted for right-wing and centrist parties, leaving left-of-center and leftist parties in the dust with little more than electoral crumbs. As […]