Israel’s High Court hits a new low

The ruling by Israel’s High Court of Justice against the home demolition of Palestinian terrorist Nizmi Abu Bakr is the latest example of judicial overreach based on political bias. Abu Bakr confessed to and was indicted on charges of murdering 21-year-old Israel Defence Forces’ Staff Sgt. Amit Ben-Yigal on May 12. Read more

How to help a failed state?

Last week’s disaster in Beirut epitomizes everything that is wrong with Lebanon. But we didn’t have to wait for an investigation into the explosion at the Beirut port that left more than 150 people dead to know what is wrong with that country. Read more

He’s Australian from Laotian parentage…but he loves Yiddish

Akarin Siriamphone loves Yiddish…he talks with Henry Greener. Read more

Lebanon: What happened?

A few minutes after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, a fire broke out in Hangar 9 of Beirut’s port. Videos from the first moments afterwards show black smoke, indicative of a grease or other material fire. Read more

Why do we wish mourners a long life

Ask the rabbi… Read more

Zionism is in good shape

Almost everywhere one turns today, there are debates about the condition Zionism is in. Read more

On the other hand

This week we celebrated Tu B’Av – the Jewish Festival of love. Read more

American pundit sheds light on Lebanon situation, China Mideast policy at AIJAC Webinar

AIJAC’s latest webinar guest Michael Doran, a former senior director in the US National Security Council and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence in the George W Bush administration, shed light on the Hezbollah conduct he says led to the tragic Beirut explosion. Read more

Exploring Chabad’s history in Victoria

Mottel Feiglin’s role as Executive Producer of a 2-part film tracing his family history has created a digital comprehensive document of the origins and life’s work of Mottel’s grandfather who, with a few other Chabad families established the Yeshivah Centre in Hotham Street East StKilda. Henry Greener talks with him. Read more

How Iran illustrates the fallacy of social-media censorship

Israeli human-rights attorney and Zionist advocate Australian-Israeli Arsen Ostrovsky hit the nail on the head during a recent Knesset committee hearing about social media. Read more

Midsummer madness

Dictionary definition: “foolish or extravagant behaviour supposed to occur during the summer.” Read more

After Knesset fiasco, Twitter still refuses to remove Iran leader’s account

Twitter is refusing to take down the account of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s account on the social media platform, even though he posts tweets calling for the genocide of Israel and the Jewish people, and even after the company was called out for its double standard over how it decides who violates its guidelines. Read more

Finding Love

Did you know that there is an ancient tradition that on two days in the year, unmarried girls used to go out dancing in the vineyards around Jerusalem in order to find a marriage partner? Read more

The Order: a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

This is Dan Silva’s twenty-third novel and as usual features as its chief protagonist is Gabriel Allon who is not only head of Israel’s secret service, the Mossad, but also an art restorer. Read more

Biden’s new Jewish point man says Israelis and Americans are less safe under Trump

Aaron Keyak just began his new position as Jewish outreach director for the presidential campaign of the presumptive Democratic 2020 nominee, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Read more

Don’t forego a historic opportunity

Virtually overnight, the coronavirus pandemic descended upon us, inflicting sickness and death. Read more

The perils of COVID incumbency create a summer of woe

Only a few months ago, the coronavirus pandemic seemed to illustrate the vast differences in management skills between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Read more

Advice to Jewish celebs: Grow up!

I have a Jerry Seinfeld question. Why do Jewish celebrities keep whining about their parents? Read more

The Powerbroker: Mark Leibler, An Australian Jewish Life

My first response when I picked up this book was how appropriate it was that a University Press named after one of Australia’s greatest Jews should publish a book about one of contemporary Australian Jewry’s most powerful, and most important Jews. Read more

Are sports mentioned in the bible? Ask the rabbi

Rabbi Raymond Apple answers this question and others. Read more

The Shtick on J-Wire: Wellbeing in COVID-19 times

Melbourne nutritionist Talitha Newton is also a Hypnotherapist, Counsellor and Life Coach, who advises her clients on how to deal with their health challenges, be it mental, physical or spiritual. Read more

Green light on Judea and Samaria is key to Trump’s re-election

President Trump’s chances of winning another term in November could well turn on his publicly endorsing Israel to immediately implement his Peace Plan restoring Jewish sovereignty in 30% of Judea and Samaria (aka West Bank) after an absence of 3000 years. Read more

On the other hand

The long summer vacation has taken hold with soaring temperatures and restricted group activities owing to a resurgence of COVID 19. Read more

Is Hezbollah interested in a wide-scale conflict with Israel?

In light of threats from Hezbollah to retaliate over the death of one of its members in Syria last week, the Israel Defense Force has sent reinforcements to its northern border including advanced fire capabilities, intelligence collection systems and special operational units. Read more

Feintooner

This week’s cartoon…Double standards for the birds. Read more

The lonely, angry anti-Semite

At high school, he made no friends and didn’t belong to any clubs. He liked girls but having a girlfriend was beyond his abilities. Academically, he was undistinguished, doing well in biology but failing in English. Read more

The progressive world: An antechamber to evil

After days of anti-Semitic rants on social media, the “Grime” rapper Wiley has finally been barred from Twitter and Facebook following outrage by Jews and others that he was allowed to use these platforms for his vicious incitement. Read more

Netanyahu’s five-point battleground to stay in power

Since fortifying Israel’s frayed political system with a victory over his political rivals and the formation of a unity coalition in April, governance for Israel’s embattled prime minister has been anything but simple. Read more

Over and out

“There comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book.” Read more

Jerusalem reborn

The Jerusalem I first came to in 1958 was a very different and much smaller town than the Jerusalem of nearly one million it is today. Read more

Next Page »