News Brief

On June 23, federal judge Tanya Walton Pratt upheld an Indiana law banning registered sex offenders from accessing Facebook and other forms of social media used by children—who, statistically speaking, have largely been targeting each other.

Roger Garaudy, the French self-styled philosopher who died on June 13 aged 98, was an exceptional individual. And I don’t mean that as a compliment.

National Basketball Association teams, fans and analysts seem to be in a constant search for the “next Michael Jordan,” looking for a player to duplicate the feats of the six-time champion and five-time Most Valuable Player many consider the best ever in his sport.

Lior Eliyahu won’t enter that conversation, but the “next Omri Casspi” seems more realistic.

Israel’s seventh prime minister, Yitzhak Shamir, passed away June 30 at the age of 96.

Israel urged the visiting Russian president on Monday to step up pressure on Iran to curb its suspect nuclear program, but there was no sign of any concessions from Vladimir Putin.
With Russia an influential voice in the international debate over Iran, the outcome of the 24-hour visit could have deep implications for whether Israel decides to strike Tehran’s nuclear facilities or give the international community more time to find a diplomatic solution to the standoff.

JERUSALEM­–Though hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons came to Israel last week to promote Muslim-Jewish dialogue, the end of his trip was marred by comments he made likening Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s alienation of Jews to Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman’s alienation of African Americans.

Forty years ago, Palestinian “Black September” terrorists murdered 11 Israeli team members during the Olympic Games in Munich. Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declined Israel’s request for a moment of silence at this summer’s London games, there are scholars working to ensure that the 1972 tragedy isn’t forgotten.
One such expert is David Clay Large, a professor of history at Montana State University and author of the book Munich 1972: Tragedy, Terror, and Triumph at the Olympic Games.

In a letter that will go on display before Independence Day, George Washington conveys his commitment to one of America’s founding principles while corresponding with the Jewish community.

Gilad Shalit met New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall for a brief ceremony on the sixth anniversary of the day Shalit was captured by Hamas.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, which also featured City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Bloomberg showed Shalit an iPad photo of himself with Shalit’s parents, Aviva and Noam, and presented the former Israeli soldier with a crystal apple donated by Tiffany’s, according to The New York Times.

A subsidiary of CBS Corp. removed 23 billboards in the Los Angeles area calling for a stop to U.S. foreign assistance to Israel.