Posts in Israel
Biden Signs $95 Billion Foreign Package, Includes Aid For Ukraine And Israel

President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion foreign aid package on April 24 that drew bipartisan support for Israel, Ukraine and other allies, and pledged to begin sending weapons and military equipment to Ukraine within hours.

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Evangelical leaders Lobbied House Speaker For Israel And Ukraine Aid

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson heard from select evangelical leaders in a press call in advance of the chamber’s weekend passage of a $95 million foreign aid package. The U.S. must support Israel, Ukraine and other allies in a battle that threatens democracy and religious freedom beyond Europe and the Middle East, the leaders said.

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Campus Chaos: Columbia Goes Remote After Protests Intimidate Jewish Students

Columbia University’s president canceled all in-person classes and urged faculty and students who do not live on campus to stay away, after a weekend of anti-Israel protests swelled and included threatening messages to the school’s large Jewish student population. The extraordinary move was announced in an early-morning Monday email.

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Jewish Students Advised To Leave Columbia’s Campus Amid Protests

Jewish students concerned about their safety amid a new wave of anti-war protests at Columbia University received mixed messages on Sunday about staying on campus during the holiday of Passover. Rabbi Elie Buechler, who leads the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at Columbia and Barnard, advised students to return home until it is safe for them to be on campus again.

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Israel Sends A Message To Iran, But Tensions Not Likely to Escalate

(OPINION) Is the conflict between Israel and Iran about to explode? Are we on the edge of World War III, if not Armageddon? The answer to all these questions is the same: not likely. But in saying this I do not claim supernatural, prophetic insight.

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After A Sleepless Night, Israelis Anxiously Wonder ‘What Happens Next?’

Sunday is the start of the Israeli workweek, but schools and many government offices were closed for the day. This cosmopolitan city’s typically crowded light rail was sparse and remarkably silent, with the few passengers glued to their smartphones looking for answers nobody could seem to find. 

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As Tensions Escalate, How Will Israel Retaliate Against Iran?

(OPINION) As expected, in retaliation for Israel’s killing of a top Iranian general and seven other senior military leaders on April 1 — all of whom were suspected of having Israeli blood on their hands — Iran struck back on Saturday night, launching roughly 350 drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles on Israel. What will Israel do in response? And what does this mean for the region and the world?

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‘Judaism Is About Love’ Shatters Stereotypes And Addresses Jewish-Christian Relations

(ANALYSIS) “Judaism Is About Love” is a new book that thoroughly and poetically shatters the misconception that the God of the Hebrew Bible is about law, while the God of the New Testament is about love. As a result, it creates healthy parameters for disagreement between Jewish and Christian believers.

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South Africa vs. Israel: International Court of Justice Orders Additional Measures

(ANALYSIS) On Jan. 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel, among others, to “in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, in relation to Palestinians in Gaza, take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of this Convention.

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Majority Of Americans Say Jews And Muslims Face Rising Discrimination

Many Americans particularly sense that discrimination against Muslims and Jews has risen since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The vast majority of U.S. Muslims and Jews agree: 7 in 10 Muslims and 9 in 10 Jews surveyed said they have felt an increase in discrimination against their respective groups since the war began last October.

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At Eastertime, Gaza’s Christians ‘No Longer Have The Energy To Suffer’

As Christians approach Easter, Baptists sheltered in the remnants of Gaza Baptist Church are so worn out they “no longer have the energy to suffer,” a leader there told the Christian Mission to Gaza. At the same time, Israel Defense Forces have decreased their attacks on Gaza in recent days.

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Israel’s Purim Festivals Feature Glee And Despair Amid Ongoing War

The Purim festivities in Israel this year were tinged with a schizophrenic twinning of glee and despair. Adding to the dismal mood was intermittent rain and a drizzle of rockets from Lebanon. Many celebrants experienced cognitive dissonance in marking the foiling of a genocidal plan in ancient Persia while a bloody war is raging today in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

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Relics On Tour: ‘Kingdom Of David And Solomon Discovered’ Comes To Oklahoma

A new exhibit, “Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered” — on display now through Jan. 31, 2025, in the lobby of the Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond, Oklahoma — reflects on the panoply of the royal house of Judah, whose influence extended from Tyre in ancient Phoenicia, today Lebanon, to Sheba or Saba, in what is modern-day Yemen and Ethiopia. On display are 49 outstanding artifacts illuminating the material culture of those Hebrew monarchs.

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Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum Gets Spectacular New Entrance

Comparable to I.M. Pei’s iconic pyramid that transformed the entrance to the Louvre, the glass-and-steel structure is a minimalist, less-is-more architectural triumph that redefines the orientation of the museum's galleries and just about everything else in this historic cultural hub. Located in a sprawling structure that once served as a palace and fort.

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Pro-Israel PAC To Increase Pressure On GOP To Pass Aid Bill

AIPAC lobbyists are headed to Capitol Hill this week to increase pressure on Congress to pass a bipartisan Israel aid bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far resisted bringing a $95 billion foreign aid bill to a floor vote. That bill, approved by the Senate last month, would support Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia’s invasion, and send $14.1 billion to Israel, which is fighting against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah on its northern border.

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Fast Food’s Quest To Feed Body And Soul During Lent And Beyond

Fast food aficionados and practicing Catholics alike are often familiar with the Filet-O-Fish story and how the sandwich was born as a result of Lent. Catholics aren’t the only religious group chain restaurants cater to because of faith and dietary restrictions. Here’s a look at some of the biggest menu options from around the world.

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A Rally For Jews Who Reject The War But Not Israel

Unlike at other rallies for a ceasefire in Gaza, you aren’t likely to hear calls for Palestine to extend “from the river to the sea” at the one in New York’s Union Square. And there will be few or no denunciations of Israel as a “settler-colonial” state. Rather, rallygoers call on both Israel and Hamas to agree to a “bilateral ceasefire,” humanitarian aid for Palestinians and the release of all hostages in Gaza. 

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As War In Gaza Rages On, the Latest Despicable Anti-Israel Lie

(OPINION) According to a quote widely attributed to Winston Churchill, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” This is absolutely true when it comes to reporting about Israel, except even more so. We could say that anti-Israel lies become canonized, even becoming part of sacred religious lore, before the truth even gets out of bed.

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Biden Ups Pressure On Israel As Deadline For Rafah Assault Approaches

After Benjamin Netanyahu pulled Israeli negotiators out of talks in Egypt, blaming Hamas for refusing to budge on what he called its “ludicrous” demands, Israel’s prime minister pledged to press ahead with the Rafah offensive. However, his war cabinet member Benny Gantz said a deal might still be possible.

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Undeterred By Protests, Christie’s New York Hosts A Show Of Israeli Art

Christie’s New York auction house is hosting a weeklong exhibition of 70 works of art that trace Israeli culture over the past century. The paintings, sculpture, drawings and video have never been shown outside Israel before. The show takes place in the U.S. at a time of unprecedented anger toward the Jewish state over its military campaign in Gaza.

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