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Israel

Israeli chief rabbis receive death threats over Women of the Wall prayer

June 03, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s chief rabbis received death threats in letters to their offices warning them to allow the Women of the Wall to pray “in accordance with our customs.”

The letters, headlined “This is a last warning,” were delivered...

North American federations back Sharansky’s Kotel compromise

June 03, 2013

(JTA) — The Jewish Federations of North America’s board of trustees passed a resolution supporting Natan Sharansky’s proposed compromise on egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall.

Monday’s resolution, according to a JFNA statement, says the compromise “develops a pathway whereby...

Israel’s mikvahs open to non-Orthodox conversions, official clarifies

May 25, 2013

TEL AVIV (JTA) — Clarifying existing policy, the office of Israel’s deputy religious services minister said Israel’s state-sponsored mikvahs are open for use for Conservative and Reform conversions.

Wednesday’s announcement, said a spokesperson for Eli Ben Dahan, does not change...

Streisand set to receive honorary doctorate from Hebrew U

May 21, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Barbra Streisand will receive an honorary doctorate from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Streisand, the iconic Jewish-American singer and actress, will be presented with the degree at a ceremony on June 17 during the Hebrew University International...

Women of the Wall board member hit with threatening graffiti

May 21, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Threatening graffiti was spray-painted on the Jerusalem home of a longtime board member of Women of the Wall.

Some of the graffiti sprayed late Sunday or early Monday on the door and stairwell of Peggy Cidor’s apartment...

CIA head Brennan makes unannounced stop in Israel

May 20, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) — CIA director John Brennan made an unannounced visit to Israel to discuss the situation in Syria.

Brennan and Israel’s defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, in their meeting last Friday reportedly compared intelligence assessments on Syria and its two-year...

No evidence that Mohammed al-Dura died, Israel says

May 19, 2013

(JTA) — Claims that Israeli troops in 2000 killed the Palestinian boy Mohammed al-Dura are “baseless,” an Israeli government committee concluded.

The panel of experts made the statement in its 36-page report presented Sunday — Israel’s most comprehensive official response...

Israeli budget advances with tourists’ VAT exemption intact

May 16, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Tourists will maintain their exemption from the value added tax in the 2013-2014 budget passed by the Israeli Cabinet.

The 388 billion shekel ($106.7 billion) budget passed late Monday night includes a 2 percent across-the-board reduction in...

Syria warns Israel it could enter Golan

May 14, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Syrian government official warned that his country can enter the Israeli-held Golan Heights at any time.

“The Golan is Syrian Arab territory and will remain so, even if the Israeli army is stationed there,” Syrian Information...

Poll: Israelis much more confident in Obama than Palestinians

May 12, 2013

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Israelis by a 4-to-1 margin are more confident than Palestinians in how President Obama handles his foreign policy, a poll found.

The Pew Research Center poll released Thursday found that 61 percent of Israelis “express confidence in...