Global Voices Online

There is surprising news in the Israeli blogosphere of connections between Jews, movies, and Israel.

$\"Yossi & Jagger\" movie poster (sourced from Wikimedia Commons)$

The Israeli blockbuster “Yossi and Jagger,” a love story between two gay men in the army, has been named to “Entertainment Weekly” magazine's list of the top 50 sexiest movies of all time, Isrealli reports.

In addition, Iran's 27th Fajr International Film Festival will honor Jewish actor Paul Newman, who died this year, notes Israellycool. In Israel, Newman's best known work is “Exodus,” the story of the State's founding, in which he plays Ari Ben Canaan, an independence fighter who smuggles Jewish refugees into British-occupied Palestine after World War II.

Israelli also remarks that “Hollywood Stars Love Israel,” citing recent visits from Zach Braff (”Garden State”), as well as Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, and Jada Pinkett Smith, who star in the recently released movie “Madagascar II.”

(Movie poster sourced from Wikimedia Commons.)

Posted by Maya Norton

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Recent Links also in Middle East & North Africa

Israeli and Palestinian doctors collaborated last week to save the life of a newborn. The Palestinian child and his grandmother were transported to Tel Aviv for emergency heart surgery. Funded by Save a Child's Heart, an Israeli nonprofit dedicated to procuring urgent medical care for Palestinian children, the organization has helped over 1,000 Palestinian and 70 Iraqi find life saving operations in Israel so far. Israelity has the video and story.

Jordanian blog 7iber reports: “After Hugo Chavez expelled Israel’s Ambassador to Venezuela earlier this week, Jordanians left flowers by the Venezuelan embassy in Amman on Thursday, January 8th, as a show of respect.” Click on the link for photographs.

“A Palestinian medic, traveling with two international Human Rights Activists, was shot by Israeli forces in Jabaliya, northern Gaza. He is one of over a 9 medics killed by Israel during this attack, and 11 ambulances destroyed,” reports Palestinian Laila El-Haddad, who posts Al Jazeera footage to back her claim.