Latest posts by Maya Norton from April, 2009
Israel: Gay Couples to Wed at Pride Parade
The Israeli website Go Gay [Hebrew] is seeking a gay and a lesbian couple to wed during Tel Aviv's 11th annual Pride Parade on June 12th, 2009. Tel Aviv Fever reports that this will be the first public gay wedding in Israel, and perhaps the world.
Israel: ‘Slumdog’ Star Films Movie About Palestinians and Israelis
Frieda Pinto, the female star of Slumdog Millionaires, is in Israel preparing for a film about the interconnected lives of Palestinian and Israeli women from the founding of Israel through modern times. Checkpoint Jerusalem has the story.
Israel: Praying for War No More
Israeli blogger David Bogner of Treppenwitz reflects on the nation's Day of Remembrance. “Israel’s national anthem… is called ‘HaTikva’- literally, ‘The Hope’… The words speak about 2000 years of longing to live as a free nation in our homeland. As an Israeli, and as a father, I can’t promise… but...
Israel: Teaching Compassion to Your Children
Hannah Katsman of A Mother in Israel offers advice on how to teach compassion to your children.
Israel: Arab and Jew Represent Israel at Eurovision Contest
Israeli Arab Mira Awad and Israeli Jew Avinoam Nini will represent Israel in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest with “There Must Be Another Way,” sung in Hebrew and Arabic. Awad's performance will be the first time an Israeli Arab has represented Israel in the Eurovision contest. Daniel Lubetsky of the...
Israel: Reflecting on Israeli-Palestinian Relations
The mood in the Israeli blogosphere is contemplative. Perhaps it is the conclusion of the Passover holiday that celebrates freedom from oppression or just that Israelis have had quiet time to spend with their families, but a number of posts about relationships between Israelis and Palestinians have recently dotted the blogosphere's landscape.
Israel: Can Yoga and Judaism Coexist?
There are potential problems for Jews who want to study yoga, but even its Buddhist teachings and Hindu chants can be justified as humanistic values and modified accordingly. “Hey, whatever floats your boat,” Israelity jests. “We’ve heard of kosher cell phones and kosher sex, so kosher yoga? Why not.”
Israel: Celebrating Freedom While Serving Army Duty
Yoav, a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, writes about celebrating the Passover holiday while on duty. Passover celebrates the freedom of the Jews from oppression. He blogs: “Only when celebrating the festival of freedom, while wearing a uniform and holding a gun, you can understand the importance of IDF's...
Israel: Palestinian Photographer's Death Still Unresolved
The death of 23-year old Palestinian photographer Fadel Shana at the hands of the Israel Defense Forces remains unresolved one year later, Dion Nissenbaum of Checkpoint Jerusalem reports. The case is currently under investigation by the United Nations.
Israel: Sandstorm Photos
Check out The Sandman's photos of Israel's recent sandstorm for a palpable sense of what it feels like to be in the midst of one.
Israel: Celebrating the End of the Passover Holiday
Middle Eastern Jews conclude the Passover holiday with the breaking of bread– and other treats– in a holiday called Mimouna. Yonatan Dror Bar-On of Dutchblog Israel posts a mouthwatering photo of his feast.
Israel: Responding to Upswing of World Antisemitism
“It’s no secret that antisemitism around the world is on an upswing,” writes Occidental Israeli, who suggests possibilities for its mitigation.
Israel: West Bank Mosque Contains Weapons Lab
Lirun of East Med Sea Peace reflects on the fact that a mosque based in the West Bank was recently found to harbor a weapons lab: “i think these sorts of things have contributed to the devaluation of muslim holy place sanctity in the eyes of the average israeli.. and...
Israel: Sandstorm Hits Israel
A sandstorm enveloped Israel last night, whipping branches off trees and sluicing clothing from lines. Yudit of Occupied reports: “After a hot dry Khamsin day, the wind is picking up like crazy, howling around my home and blowing ultra-fine dust into and onto everything and i can hear the sea...
Israel: Teen Killed, Child Hurt in Terror Attack
Breaking news in Israel – Two boys were attacked with an ax yesterday (April 2) in the West Bank community of Bat Ayin. Thirteen year old Shlomo Nativ died from his injuries, while 7 year old Yair Gamliel was rushed to the hospital with a fractured skull. The incident, deemed to be a terrorist attack, lead the Israel Defense Forces to the nearby town of Khirbet Safa, where the attacker is believed to be hiding. In the Jewish tradition of burying the dead, Nativ's funeral was held on the same evening.
Israel: Palestinian Youth Orchestra Disbanded for Israeli Performance
In honor of Good Deeds Day in Israel, a Palestinian youth orchestra performed for a group of Holocaust survivors. Known as the “Strings of Freedom,” the group was composed of 13 children, ages 11 to 18, from the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Find out what happens next to them in this post.
Palestine/Israel: Palestinian Support on U.S. Campuses
“What is happening on the U.S. campuses is not about supporting the Palestinians as much as it is about promoting hatred for the Jewish state. It is not really about ending the ‘occupation’ as much as it is about ending the existence of Israel,” observes journalist Khaled Abu Toameh, a...
Israel: Searching for a Peace Prophet in Palestine
“If Palestinians adopted a Gandhian nonviolent strategy, could they reshape the entire conflict with Israel and finally realize a two-state solution?” asks Israeli journalist Gershom Gorenberg in an entry entitled, “The Missing Mahatma: Searching for a Palestinian Ghandi.”
Israel: Political History of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
False Dichotomies blogger, Alex Stein reflects on the political history of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who took his oath of office today. Netanyahu served his first term as prime minister from 1996– 1999.
Israel: Survey Finds Happiness Linked to Wealth, Immigration
A survey conducted by the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies found that wealth, marriage, and immigration to Israel were the greatest indicators of happiness. Immigrants who arrived in Israel voluntarily, specifically those from Western countries, were found to be 13.5% happier than native born Israelis, Israelity reports.