Contemporary Jews are an aggregate of ethno-religious communities whose world-wide members identify with each other through shared religious, historical and cultural traditions. It is only recently that the genetic structure of the Jewish people has been addressed and elucidated using gene-array technology.
Nature in 1998(1) published an article entitled “Origins of Old Testament Priests” in [...]
In this parasha, Moshe continues his speech to the Jewish people, reminding them that the Land was not being given to them because of their righteousness but because of the wickedness of the people G-d was driving out before them. Ramban commented that the denial of merit referred to the generation in the wilderness who [...]
It hasn’t taken too long to see appeasement rhetoric emerge from new British PM, David Cameron. On his recent trip to Turkey, Cameron was effusive to his hosts and aggressively critical of Israel. Melanie Phillips bemoans the sorry state Britain is being lowered to here.
As Phillips says “Israel is the litmus test of decency in political discourse. [...]
The Ausralian Council of Churches seem to have caught the bug - as described by Henry Benjamin in J-wire here..
The Council media release included the following:
“During its 7th triennial Forum last week, the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) announced it will continue to add its voice to the call for an end to Israel’s occupation [...]
David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee, and Senior Associate of St Antony’s College, Oxford University, has written an excellent article here addressed to the chorus of compulsive critics of Israel.
It includes the lines : “Your narrative is pre-cooked, airtight and impervious to reason. It’s filled with a hatred of Israel that eludes logical [...]
It’s only taken 60 years, but finally there are moves in Lebanon to provide a modicum of self-respect and freedom for the predominantly descendants of 1948 refugees languishing in Lebanese refugee camps. A Lebanese work-colleague of mine who returned from Beirut a few months ago mentioned that the moves were in the air, but it’s [...]
There is something sad and dismal about Bony M being asked to not sing the song Rivers of Babylon in their concert in Ramallah, as reported here.
It demonstrates how reluctant the Palestinians are to officially admit the legitimacy of Israel and the long Jewish history of attachment to the land.
Oh well, here is Bon M’s video.
The poseurs who [...]
In his review of the precepts of Judaism, Moshe prefaced the imparting of the commandments with the injunction that the Jews listen to what he teaches so they may do the mitzvoth “to live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord, the G-d of your fathers gives you”.
R’ Eli Munk wrote that [...]
Since the Flotilla incident of late May, several news reports have focussed on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There is no doubt that conditions must be difficult for people living under the yoke of the Islamist movement, Hamas which seized total power in the enclave after a bitter and bloody power struggle with Fatah in [...]
Professor Irwin Cotler gave the Annual Gandel Oration earlier tonight (21st July) in Sydney.
In the introduction to his superb talk, Prof Cotler stated that he was particularly pleased to be in Sydney , the home of the late Professor Julius Stone, who was one of his legal mentors, and a giant in the field of [...]