Britannia Radio

Daily Briefing Monday, May 16, 2011 Donate Now | Share This Email FEATURED STORY With border breaches, has the Arab Spring reached Israel? If a single phrase could capture the sentiment that motivated thousands of Arabs to try to cross Israel's borders on Sunday to "retake Palestine" from the Jews, it would be this: Yes, we can. Read more » EDITORS' PICKS The perfect 'Nakba Day' storm Recent developments in the region sent unusually large crowds into the streets to commemorate this year's anniversary of the Nakba -- the "catastrophe" of Israel's founding, explains JTA's Dina Kraft. From Entebbe to Abbottabad The Entebbe and bin Laden raids reveal the fundamental bonds between Israel and America, writes Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, in an op-ed for JTA. Rahm's ancestors would be kvelling As Rahm Emanuel takes over as mayor of Chicago today, the Chicago Tribune speaks to his parents, who say his ancestors would be proud. In Israel, gay and religious Gay religious Jews are asserting their identities in Israel, the Associated Press reports. Take my Jewishness, please Israeli writer Yoram Kaniuk is asking a Tel Aviv court to cancel his Jewish status, Ha'aretz reports. Dominique Strauss-Kahn's identity What does it matter that Dominique Strauss-Kahn is Jewish? That is what LA Jewish Journal editor Rob Eshman is asking about the International Monetary Fund chief who is accused of rape. Picking up Ilan Ramon's experiment An experiment that was to have been performed by Israeli astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon on the ill-fated space shuttle Columbia in 2003 is finally being conducted aboard the Endeavor, The Jerusalem Post reports. The Eulogizer: Murray Handwerker and Ben Masel JTA's Appreciation column remembers former Nathan's Famous owner Murray Handwerker and marijuana legalization activist Ben Masel. Ethiopian Jewry's elusive history The Ethiopian Jewish community has existed for more than 15 centuries, but learning about its early history has been a challenge for scholars, explains Atira Winchester on Myjewishlearning.com. JEWISH IDEAS DAILY Sponsored Content O Canada In striking contrast to the treatment of Israel by its fair-weather European allies and a fickle Obama administration, there stands, of all countries, Canada. Read more » CLASSIFIED Spread the Word Placing a classified ad in JTA's Daily Briefing is an ideal, exclusive way to get your announcement in front of the audience you want.

BREAKING NEWS President Obama will address this year's AIPAC conference. Munich state prosecutors appealed the court's decision to release convicted Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk from prison pending his appeal. Israel filed a complaint with the United Nations Security Council against Syria and Lebanon over the breach of its border by protesters. The White House said Israel has a right to defend itself from unauthorized border crossings and blamed Syria for "inciting" violence. A former Jewish leader was among those indicted in Argentina for bribery during the original investigation of the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires. An Israeli-born Jewish woman who was executed in Iran along with her Armenian Christian husband also was an American citizen. In the wake of disturbances on Israel's borders that have resulted in as many as 14 deaths, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a national address that he has ordered his military to stop the infiltration and defend the country's sovereignty. An influential Sephardic rabbi in Israel and the country's two chief rabbis have called on Israelis to delay Lag b'Omer observances by a day. Popular filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen said during a visit to Israel that they do not agree with artists who boycott the Jewish state. Israel will resume the transfer of collected tax funds to the Palestinian Authority, its finance minister said. Information gleaned from Father Patrick Desbois' years-long search for mass Jewish graves in Eastern Europe will be made available on a database. A Zionist youth movement accused Australia's largest Jewish school of "discriminating" against its leaders by banning them from canvassing students on its campus. Australian lawmakers passed a resolution blasting the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. Jack Mandel, a leader in Jewish philanthropy in the United States and Israel, has died. A rabbi is slated to appear on the game show "Jeopardy!" A falafel ball weighing 52.8 pounds created at a Jewish food festival in California has been certified as the world's largest.