Categories
Commentary

A Just And Appropriate Punishment

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the obnoxious first-term Republican congresswoman from the U.S. state of Georgia, was lucky to have gotten off so relatively lightly. Yesterday, by a margin of 230 to 199, the House of Representatives voted to remove her from the education and budget committees. Only 11 Republicans joined Democrats in support of this just […]

Categories
Commentary

The Proud Boys Should Be Monitored Carefully

The Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist outfit founded by Canadian media magnate Gavin McInnes five years ago, exists on the margins of the white supremacy movement in the United States. Although its current leader, Enrique Tarrio, disavows racism, some of its members and former members are dyed-in-the-wool racists and antisemites who appear comfortable with violence. […]

Categories
Jewish Affairs

What Is Antisemitism?

The commonly accepted definition of antisemitism is crystal clear. Or is it? Until quite recently, antisemitism was universally understood to encompass a broad spectrum of hostility toward Jews. This animus could assume multiple forms, but at the end of the day it was an expression of unambiguous dislike of the Jewish people. This form of hatred, […]

Categories
Commentary

A Necessary Resignation

The best news to come out of Lithuania lately was the resignation of Valdas Rakutis as chairman of Lithuania’s parliamentary historical commission. He tendered his resignation a few days ago, citing his desire to “reduce tensions between home and abroad.” He had no alternative but to step down from his post after stupidly suggesting on International […]

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Middle East

The Majority of Palestinians Support A Two-State Solution

Most Palestinians in the West Bank support a two-state solution, despite the glaring absence of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, say the leaders of two Palestinian non-governmental organizations. Nidal Foqaha and Mohammed Asideh, both residents of the West Bank town of Ramallah, conveyed this message at a webinar on January 31 sponsored […]

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Middle East

Israel, The Palestinians And The Coronavirus Vaccine

Israel has amassed an exemplary record in vaccinating its population against the Covid-19 virus. Since December, three out of nine million Israeli citizens have been immunized with the Pfizer vaccine. Nonetheless, the pandemic has killed nearly 5,000 Israelis, and Israel has gone through three lockdowns to contain its deadly effects. Israel, a hub of the […]

Categories
Film

Dear Comrades!

Russia’s Academy Award submission this year in the category of best foreign film, Dear Comrades!, is a taut political drama that delves into the overlapping themes of faith, corruption and disillusionment. Opening in Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on February 5, Andrei Konchalovsky’s gritty black-and-white movie unfolds in Novocherkaask, a small provincial town in […]

Categories
Middle East

The Iran Nuclear Agreement Hangs In The Balance

Israel has launched an orchestrated campaign to induce the United States to either stay out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement or completely revamp it to its satisfaction. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a vehement opponent of the accord, fired the first shot across the bow even before Joe Biden succeeded Donald Trump as U.S. president […]

Categories
Film

Two Of Us

Nina and Madeleine live in separate apartments across the hall from each other, but they’re more than merely neighbors. They’re lovers who’ve managed to keep their lesbian relationship secret all these years. Nina (Barbara Sukowa) and Madeleine (Martine Chevallier) are the central fugues in Filippo Meneghetti’s poignant romantic French-language drama, which will be available on […]

Categories
Film

The Story Of Wilfrid Israel

Wilfrid Israel, a wealthy businessman, saved thousands of Jews in Nazi Germany and was instrumental in the founding of Kibbutz Hazorea. But for many years, he was an unsung hero, and to the consternation of Israeli filmmaker Yonatan Nir, not a single street in Israel has been named after this heroic figure. Nir, who was […]