September 2, 2013

The US

Headline: Lawmakers not optimistic Obama's Syria plan will pass

To Read: CFR's Robert McMahon takes a look at different constitutional aspects of Obama's decision to take the Syria strike proposal to congress-

The president's decision to seek explicit authority for what has been described as a limited action could have lasting repercussions. In the view of some experts, the move could inhibit Obama for the rest of his term in his ability to initiate military action without congressional authority, or at a minimum it would heighten public expectations about the need for future presidents to seek congressional support. But a number of experts also say the Syria action warranted a request for congressional authorization. The planned use of military force in Syria without authorization would have amounted to a major constitutional stretch, writes Jack Goldsmith, a former U.S. assistant attorney general and current professor at Harvard Law School. Goldsmith wrote on the Lawfare blog that the envisioned action in Syria would have set a precedent for presidential unilateralism in part because “neither U.S. persons nor property are at stake, and no plausible self-defense rationale exists.”

Quote:  “I trust him on everything that affects Israel” President Shimon Peres backing President Obama.

Number: 83, the number of lawmakers who attended the closed door briefing on Syria.

Israel

Headline: Abbas reveals deal PA made to restart peace talks

To Read: A Canadian Jew whose Aliya was by and large very successful explains why she is still leaving Israel-

And yet, once an Anglo has gotten their foot in the door by reason of their mother tongue, where is there to go? English may run the content and marketing departments, but business and negotiations are conducted in Hebrew. There’s a glass ceiling that Americans, Canadians and Brits will inevitably hit. I work half in Hebrew and half in English, but there are few upper rungs for me to climb. My employers hired me for my English, not my ambition.

So what’s an Anglo to do once they’ve hit their English plateau? The options are either to jump on the entrepreneurial bandwagon, find the same job at a slightly higher wage or go home. Israel can offer an abundance of jobs, but few careers.

Quote: “I ask that you not act without consideration and irresponsibly toward our ally in order to capture a moment of glory. These statements do not serve the citizens of Israel”, PM Benjamin Netanyahu urging his media loving cabinet ministers to keep quiet about the whole US-Syria affair, according to a source quoted by the NYT.

Number: 22,988, the number of immigrants who moved to Israel in the past Jewish year.

The Middle East

Headline: Morsi to stand trial for incitement to murder

To Read: Middle East expert Sahar Aziz traces the beginning of Morsi's downfall back to a disagreement with the army about how to address security matters in the Sinai Peninsula-

The past two years have offered many lessons for Egyptians, who are slowly coming out of the fog of decades of dictatorship. From prioritizing the economy to learning how to build consensus in a burgeoning political space, future leaders have much to take stock of as they reflect on Morsi’s fate. But perhaps the most important lesson for future civilian presidents is to prioritize Sinai within Egypt’s national security agenda. That is, if Egypt’s military ever cedes power back to a civilian government.

Quote:  “Syria should be the battle ground to confront Iranian interference”, Syrian opposition leader, Ahmad al-Jarba addressing the Arab League leaders in a conference about the Syrian war.  

Number: 1.7m, the number of signatures Tunisia's rebellion movement- inspired by Egypt's Tamarod initiative- has collected in its bid to oust the country's Islamist government.

The Jewish World

Headline: Amid civil war, Syria’s remaining Jews to celebrate High Holy Days

To Read: Tablet tells the complicated story of an American Banker who did business with Hitler during the war-  

After he stepped down as BIS president in 1946, McKittrick was appointed a vice president of Chase National Bank in New York, in charge of foreign loans. He was even lauded by those whose stolen goods, in the form of looted Nazi gold, he had traded: That same year, McKittrick was invited to Brussels and decorated with the Royal Order of the Crown of Belgium. The honor, noted a press release, was “in recognition of his friendly attitude to Belgium and his services as President of the Bank for International Settlements during World War II.”

Quote:  “We’re really advocating for Israel not by going the traditional route and waving the flag. We’re saying, ‘Look at these great products, look at the great opportunities and, by the way, they’re from Israel’”, Brett Goldman, Executive director of a new growing Students' initiative to promote Israel.

Number: 7, the percentage of voters in the Democratic primary NYC mayoral elections who are Orthodox Jews.