KFAR SABA, Israel (AP) — Under the bright lights, a call of “set, hike” echoes out, followed by the clatter of helmets smashing against pads at a high school football game. But these aren’t American teenagers hoping to play college ball — they are Israelis with an eye on joining elite military combat units. A growing number of native-born Israelis … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Nazi soldiers made their orders very clear: Jewish American prisoners of war were to be separated from their fellow brothers in arms and sent to an uncertain fate. But Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds would have none of that. As the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer held in the German POW camp, he ordered more than 1,000 Americans captives … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — Over the years, the Israeli parliament has seen its fair share of questionable characters. But it’s unlikely anyone has ever been so perpetually engulfed in scandal in so short a time as freshman Likud lawmaker Oren Hazan. In less than eight months in office, Hazan has already faced accusations of physically assaulting a public official, sexually harassing … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — With World War II underway and the Nazis closing in, 16-year-old Itzchak Belfer decided to flee his native Poland and head east to Soviet Russia. The man who had raised the Jewish boy like a son tearfully gave him his blessing, slipped the teen some money and said, “the chicks are leaving the nest.” It … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Your typical Tel Aviv tourist will naturally navigate toward its famous beaches, boulevards and Bauhaus buildings. But if it’s people- (and dog-) watching that you fancy, nothing tops an afternoon or evening stroll in the neighborhood of Florentin. Nestled between the ancient biblical port of Jaffa and Tel Aviv’s first Jewish neighborhood — the better-known … Read More
RISHON LEZION, Israel (AP) — Twenty-four-year-old shopkeeper Darya Zelenkov was working her shift in a downtown clothing shop in this central Israeli city when she was startled by a knife-wielding Palestinian trying to burst in. The quick-thinking saleswoman quickly slammed the glass door in his face. “I looked him straight in the eye. He had this lost look about him,” … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — Over a seven-decade career in politics, Shimon Peres has helped guide Israel through wars and existential threats. But now, with the country embroiled in a new wave of violence, the 92-year-old elder statesman worries that if its leaders do not get serious about pursuing peace with the Palestinians, it will be in an eternal state of war … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis, along with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, marked the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on Saturday night, gathering in the Tel Aviv square where he was gunned down by a Jewish extremist and remembering his calls for peace. The event, attended by an estimated 100,000 … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Twenty years after Yitzhak Rabin was gunned down by a Jewish extremist opposed to his negotiations with the Palestinians, Israel is more divided than ever over Mideast peacemaking — and the people who opposed the assassinated premier with vitriol, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, now have a firm grip on power. Initially, the assassination seemed to … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked an uproar in Israel on Wednesday for suggesting that a World War II-era Palestinian leader persuaded the Nazis to adopt their Final Solution to exterminate 6 million Jews. Holocaust experts and survivors slammed Netanyahu’s comments as historically inaccurate and serving the interests of Holocaust deniers by lessening the responsibility of Adolf Hitler … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — A wave of stabbing attacks has spread fear in Jerusalem and much of Israel, shattering the brittle sense of security Israelis had managed to restore a decade after Palestinian suicide bombings terrified the nation. The public panic has also exposed an ugly side, with some enraged residents calling for Arabs to be kicked out of their apartment … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — As a wave of violence sweeps across Jerusalem, victims and perpetrators are often surprised to be reunited — at each other’s bedside in the city’s largest emergency ward. The Hadassah Medical Center prides itself on checking politics at the door and treating Palestinian attackers and Jewish victims alike. But the tensions on the street are increasingly seeping … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — After finding high-tech solutions to halt suicide bombings and rockets, tech-savvy Israel is struggling with the resurgence of a weapon dating back to David and Goliath: the hurled rock. Rock throwing is becoming commonplace in Jerusalem amid a wave of Palestinian unrest, leading to calls for a harsh crackdown and adding to tensions over access to a … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — In her feature film directorial debut, Academy Award winning actress Natalie Portman brings to life the autobiographical novel of celebrated Israeli writer Amos Oz about his youth during the Jewish state’s founding years. But in many ways, the Israeli-born Portman says “A Tale of Love and Darkness” also mirrors the story of her own family. Her paternal … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — In one of the most contentious tracts of real estate on the planet, serenity is not that easy to find. The Old City of Jerusalem is a tourism paradise for history buffs or religious pilgrims, featuring the epicenters of all major monotheistic faiths. But calm it is not. The major landmarks in the Jewish, Muslim and Christian … Read More