The major story in Israel today is one that affects the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria directly. It is the story of the Ulpana neighborhood in Bet El, a relatively large community in the Benjamin region of Samaria. Many years ago, the community of Bet El purchased land adjacent to the community from a … Read more
What a topsy-turvy week this has been for Israeli politics. Just a few days ago, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made it clear that he was moving towards early elections, and initiated legislation in the Knesset to send Israel to the polls the first week of September. Then just this morning, Netanyahu announced a new unity coalition … Read more
Today is the day after Passover and everything goes back to normal. Last night we were up late washing and drying dishes, putting away the Passover dishes and taking out the regular dishes, stripping the beds from the company that stayed with us for the holiday, and starting on the mounds of laundry that always … Read more
Prime Minister Netanyahu just completed a very important visit to the US. He addressed AIPAC, the important pro-Israel lobby organization, and met with President Obama. Commentators have seen Obama’s speech at AIPAC as very pro-Israel, although some have questioned whether that was a function of pre-election strategy. But the overriding issue of this visit was … Read more
These past few weeks have included a number of significant events, seemingly unrelated, and yet all bear watching for their inevitable affect on current affairs in Israel. In early September, Mahmoud Abbas began the process of obtaining UN recognition for a Palestinian State. Just a few days ago, UNESCO voted to accept “Palestine” as a … Read more
Today the four women who make up CFOIC Heartland’s Israel office went on an outing, to recharge our batteries and learn something new about our wonderful land of Israel. We chose the Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv which tells the story of the pre-State underground group which did so much to protect the Jews in … Read more
Just two days ago, on Saturday, Jews all over the world marked the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. I wanted to share some thoughts with you that were part of my Yom Kippur experience this year. The fast began just before 5 pm on Friday. Clothed in white, our … Read more
Tomorrow is Tu B’Shvat, the annual holiday of trees. Although this day was well known in Jewish sources for centuries, since the beginning of the 20th century, when Jews began returning to the Land of Israel in large numbers, this day took on greater significance. The early Zionist pioneers found a desolate land, with a … Read more
Israeli politics are known for their volatility and unexpectedness. There have only been 6 Israeli governments which served their full term, the last one ending in 1988. The Knesset (Israeli Parliament) generally finds a reason to disband the government before the end of its term and call for full parliamentary elections. Usually, there is ongoing … Read more
As I write this newsletter, I am in Australia on what has become an annual February trip. This is my third visit to this far away country and, as always, I so enjoy the people, the landscapes and the weather. Although the news was full of terrible floods and wild fires in Australia before I … Read more