Hoenlein radio commentary provides insight into Jewish current events

Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, is an articulate commentator on topics of Jewish concern.


If you would like to hear a moderate, authoritative perspective on Jewish current events, particularly on international Jewish issues, listen to Hoenlein on the John Batchelor Show on WABC-AM

Live over the Internet, most Thursdays, 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm Central
or on demand from WABC's website.

Thursday, March 11, 2010    Topic: IRAN    GUESTS: Co-host Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents; Ahmed Ali, The Washington Institute; Danny Ayalon, Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel

Links:     Listen online or Download this show as a podcast

 
Malcolm Hoenlein serves as Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the coordinating body on international and national concerns for 52 national Jewish organizations.  Previously, he served as the founding Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New York

REBORN HURVA SYNAGOGUE TO OPEN IN JERUSALEM, MARCH 15

New York - March 11, 2010: A reborn Hurva Synagogue will open to the public on March 15, after an extensive four-year construction project in the Old City of Jerusalem. 

Built in 1864 atop ruins of an earlier synagogue, the Hurva Synagogue was the largest and considered the most important synagogue in Jerusalem.

It was destroyed in 1948 during Israel's War of Independence.

After the city was reunified in 1967, a 52-foot arch was erected on the site to commemorate the giant dome of the destroyed building, and this arch has been incorporated into the dome that is the centerpiece of the new building.

The new Hurva Synagogue features wall paintings based on the building's original murals, including depictions of the Tower of David, Rachel's Tomb, the Sea of Galilee and the Cave of the Patriarchs.

"The opening of the Hurva Synagogue is a highly anticipated and historic event in Jerusalem," says Arie Sommer, Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America, "And the re-imagined wall paintings will bring new life to one of Israel's most important synagogues."

Travelers will also be able to participate in free daytime tours and nighttime sound and light presentations. 

For more information, visit http://www.jewish-quarter.org.il/. For more information on travel to Israel, visit www.goisrael.com.

Biden: No space between U.S., Israel

JERUSALEM (JTA, 3/9/2010) -- The relationship between Israel and the United States is a centerpiece of American policy, Vice President Joe Biden said.

Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made statements to the media Monday after their two-hour meeting in Jerusalem.

"There is no space between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel’s security, and for that reason and many others addressing Iran’s nuclear program has been one of our administration’s priorities," Biden said.

Biden and Netanyahu's talks reportedly focused on the Iran nuclear issue. The U.S. leader reportedly warned Netanyahu not to order a unilateral strike on Iran, and worked to get him on board with allowing U.S.-backed increased sanctions to have time to work.

Biden praised Israel for agreeing to enter into indirect peace talks with the Palestinians.

"We hope that these talks will lead, and they must lead eventually, to negotiations and direct discussions between the parties," he said. "The goal is obviously to resolve the final-status issues to achieve a two-state solution with Israel and a Palestine living side by side in peace and security.

"An historic peace is going to require both parties to make some historically bold commitments. You have done it before and I’m confident for real peace you would do it again."

Biden called on Israel to work for a comprehensive peace with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon, as well as normalizing relationships with the entire Arab world. 

Netanyahu called Biden "a real friend to me, and a real friend to Israel and to the Jewish people."

Jewish Telegrahic Agency report    http://bit.ly/aIyW0c

 

US govt contractor Alan Gross still in Cuban jail for assisting Jewish community

Of current interest: (AFP) – Feb 19, 2010

US demands immediate release of American held in Cuba

HAVANA — The United States demanded Friday the "immediate release" of an American contractor who has been detained in Cuba since December, the US State Department said.

A visiting high-level US delegation engaged in immigration talks with Havana "raised the case of the US citizen detained in Cuba on December 4 and called for his immediate release," said a statement from the US Interests Section, Washington's mission in the communist-ruled country.

The US government has identified the man, 60-year-old Alan Gross, as a government contractor with Development Alternatives Inc (DAI) of Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington, who was seeking to help Jewish groups communicate with people outside the country by distributing mobile phones and computers.

Havana has slammed him as a US spy seeking to harm the communist regime, with President Raul Castro saying Gross used "sophisticated" communications equipment to help opposition groups in their role as "mercenaries" for the United States.

Friday's statement was signed by State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, although he was not in Havana.

The US delegation was led by Craig Kelly, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, President Barack Obama's highest-ranking envoy to Cuba for fresh talks on migration issues with the island nation.

See also:  Hapless in Havana   A contractor for USAID is still in jail in Cuba. Why was he there in the first place -- and what can Washington do to bring him back?  http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/02/23/hapless_in_havana

Turkey rejects Israel's offer of post-quake aid

Ankara declines Jerusalem's proposal to assist search and rescue operations following 6.0-magnitude earthquake which hit country's east.
                                                   03.08.10 abridged from ynetnews.com

Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the defense establishment to put together an aid proposal for Turkey, following the earthquake that hit the country's eastern region Monday, only to be rejected by Ankara. Barak's office said that Turkey informed Israel that it did not require assistance at this time.

The 6.0-magnitude quake shook the Elazig province in eastern Turkey around 4:30 am (GMT). Some 57 people were killed and over 40 aftershocks have been registered since, the strongest reaching 5.5 on the Richter Scale.

Jerusalem's relations with Ankara have deteriorated greatly over the past year... 
The growing tensions have seen Turkey cancel a joint military exercise scheduled to take place between the two air forces.
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3859699,00.html

Hitchens: Islamic Jihad is among the toxic forms of anti-Semitism

Christopher Hitchens decries anti-Semitism in lecture at UCLA

By Cynthia Lee March 04, 2010   Abridged.

 

Christopher Hitchens, an internationally known columnist, intellectual and author whose provocative books and essays in Slate, Vanity Fair, the Atlantic and other publications have hammered at organized religion, the Clintons, Winston Churchill and Mother Teresa alike, appeared Wednesday, March 3, before a packed audience at UCLA to portray anti-Semitism as "the godfather of all other forms of racism" and "the gateway to the tyranny of fascism and war."

 

Hitchens urged his audience to "be discerning in picking out the real enemies and toxic forms of anti-Semitism, such as that posed by Islamic jihad."

 

Click to view a video of Hitchen's  Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture.

Israel Expects Peace Talks with Palestinians to Begin Next Week

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel hopes to begin peace negotiations with the Palestinians next week, during a visit by U.S. envoy George Mitchell. 

Mr. Netanyahu spoke to his Cabinet a day after the Arab League endorsed indirect peace talks for a period of four months.

The prime minister said direct talks are necessary to reach a peace agreement, but indirect talks are an acceptable way to restart the diplomatic process.

Palestinian officials say the first order of business during the four-month talks is charting the borders of a future Palestinian state.

(Voice of America)