News

 Sallai Meridor, Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the U.S., says those who predict a troubled relationship between the Obama administration and a likely Netanyahu government should “reserve judgment and learn from history.”

Last week's election of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran is seen by Israel as a new opportunity to press the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran until it ends its efforts to develop a nuclear bomb.

 “If a rabbi by definition is a teacher with knowledge, what moral justification is there to prevent women from being rabbis?”

That question was posed, in writing, to a panel of five young Orthodox rabbis, graduates of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT), from an audience member on Sunday night at the rabbinical school’s annual dinner, held at the Ramaz Upper School.

This week's summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed what Sharon did not want to hear: that Abbas has so little power he cannot guarantee any promises he makes.
That analysis by many Israeli observers was buttressed by this exchange at Tuesday's two-hour meeting, as reported on Israel's Channel 1:
Abbas: "Help me, I'm weak."
Sharon: "Don't say that, people might believe it."
Even the Bush administration now knows it.

St. Petersburg, Fla. — In a bold address that implicitly criticized his constituents, the president of the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) said this week that in response to the economic crisis, member philanthropists and foundations must change the way they way they do business by consolidating efforts, collaborating with each other and sacrificing pet projects for the greater good of the community.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, was confirmed by the UN General Assembly Monday to be one of its 21 vice presidents, the first time Israel has held that position since Abba Eban served there 53 years ago.
Gillerman, who was endorsed for the post by the Western European and Others Regional Group (including the United States, Western Europe and Canada), said he hoped to use the position to eliminate or limit the number of anti-Israel resolutions that are adopted each year.

John Ruskay, the CEO and executive vice president of UJA-Federation of New York, started out as a leader of the havurah movement and critic of the federation system, while Jeffrey Solomon, the president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, was once chief operating officer of UJA-Federation (and was responsible for hiring Ruskay).

Five candidates are vying for the leadership in a Labor Party primary June 28 that some are viewing as crucial in positioning the party for major gains in the general election next year.
"It's clear that [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon's government is in trouble," said Yossi Alpher, a political analyst and former adviser to then-Labor Prime Minister Ehud Barak. "It's not clear that [Sharon] will get his [Likud] party's nomination."
Alpher said it was unclear also how the Gaza disengagement slated to begin Aug. 15 would affect Sharon's nomination.

Ogen Drori wants to stay in the West Bank so bad, he's asking Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for that privilege.
Drori lives in one of four settlements slated to be dismantled and forcibly evacuated this summer, and is circulating a petition among fellow residents asking Abbas to grant them political asylum so they may remain in their homes. He said the petition has 10 signatures from five families.

Laurence Leamer, best known for his best-selling books about the Kennedy clan, didn't have an easy time of it when it came to selling his newest book about a Kennedy-by-marriage, Arnold Schwarzenegger.