Rabbi Dow Marmur
Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Now a resident of Israel, he may be contacted via dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com
Charges against Netanyahu upend his plans
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to have elections next April and not in the Fall, when they were due, was an imaginative way of delaying, perhaps even evading, being indicted for bribery and related charges....
Bibi, Benny and Bogie
Israelis now have an alternative to Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu: Benny Gantz, a former chief of staff and the founder of a new political party. In his efforts to create a broad front...
Russians may play role in Israeli elections
A cartoon in Ha’aretz (January 14) shows Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, in a room with his cyber hackers. One of them asks his president something to the effect: “Are we on the side of...
Will Israel’s new election tie attorney general’s hands?
Mordechai Kremnitzer, professor emeritus of law at the Hebrew University, cites in his Ha’aretz column of January 10 the old story about the man who murdered his parents and then claimed clemency in court because he...
Who will oppose Netanyahu in April 9 election?
The day after it was announced that Israelis will go to the polls on April 9, a headline in the Times of Israel read: “Early election timing likely more to do with graft-dodging than draft-dodging.” Though...
Some in Israel consider the term ‘Reform’ an insult
A court of law in Israel may soon have to decide whether to call someone Reform is an insult. Adina Bar Shalom – the daughter of the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, the...
Search on for a succesor for Netanyahu
Israelis are getting tired of Binyamin Netanyahu. The continued saga of his possible indictment for bribery and related matters reflect his less than healthy relationship to money. The reported antics of his wife have...
Outside influences always have impacted Judaism
Sir Simon Schama, celebrated historian, best-selling author, and TV personality was in Jerusalem the other day to give a lecture called, “Jewish Arguments Then and Now.” Starting with the two creation stories in the...
The three hats of Bibi Netanyahu
JERUSALEM — In addition to wearing the hat of prime minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu wears at least three other hats. He’s Israel’s foreign minister, its communications minister and its defense minister. The other...
Netanyahu courts some worrisome friends
There’s evidence to suggest that much of the Muslim world is abandoning the Palestinians in favor of Israel. What in recent years had been covert has now become overt: Israel’s seemingly warm relationship with...