A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:
Peace this week
After last week's ceasefire in the Middle East, all is quiet on the Israel front after eight days of Israel's Operation Pillar of Defense against Gaza. In total, more than 1,500 rockets were sent toward Israel, and Israel said it shot back at more than 1,000 targets. “At the end of the day, a government or entity that wants to survive must meet its people’s psychological and tangible needs,” ” target=”_blank”>said an Aurora Advertiser editorial.
Barak steps aside
Longtime politician and former prime minister Ehud Barak announced this week that he'll retire in January after the elections. “I want to dedicate more time to my family. I feel I have exhausted dealing with political life, which has never been a passion of mine, and I feel there is room to allow other people to serve in senior roles in Israel,” ” target=”_blank”>Eitan Haber at YNetNews: “From being the darling of the Israeli nation, with tens of thousands of people cheering for him at Rabin Square after he won the elections, Barak's status within Israeli politics gradually declined until it reached its current level. Politics may not miss Barak, but security will.” Others were impressed with how he handled himself in recent years. “His alliance with Netanyahu over the past four years has been surprisingly strong, considering their divergent political leanings,” ” target=”_blank”>some have noted…
Merkel's backing
German Chancellor Angela Merkel renewed her pledge to stand with Jews inside her country and for Israel's right to self-defense, ” target=”_blank”>reported Deutsche Welle.
“Lists of Jews”
A Hungarian politician pushed his government to come up with a list of Jews who pose a “” target=”_blank”>apologized for the remarks, but many remain concerned. “Rhetoric like this in a country where more than half a million Jews were killed during the Holocaust are obviously disturbing. But what makes this more interesting than just another 'European far-right politician says offensive thing' story, is that Jobbik's old-fashioned anti-Semitism puts it at odds with the direction other European far-right groups are heading,” ” target=”_blank”>anti-Semitism in the stands are on the rise, which has many people worried. So far, security has kept these individuals at bay, tossing them or banning them in other cases. “The days of English football crowds making mass monkey noises are thankfully gone, but massed anti-Semitic chanting about Hitler and gassing was clearly heard yesterday from a loud section of West Ham fans,” ” target=”_blank”>monitor the situation and are poised to act when it's called for.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.