Sepehr Hakakian
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The roots of BDS

In the summer of 2014, the Gaza-based terrorist organization Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians and used its terror tunnel network to launch attacks in Israeli territory. In response, Israel launched the defensive Operation Protective edge to eliminate…

The dangers of jumping to conclusions

Last week, a video emerged. It apparently shows an Israeli soldier shooting a wounded Palestinian terrorist in the head, killing him instantly. Never mind that the footage was supplied by B’Tselem, an organization well known for misrepresenting and distorting facts. Pay no…

Cleaning up Israel’s politics

During his term as Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert hoped to make history by brokering a historic deal with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nearly a decade later, he succeeded in making history, albeit for…

Taste of Torah: A kingdom of priests or a holy nation?

This week’s Torah portion, Yitro, is eponymous to Moses’s father-in-law and a prominent Midianite priest, Jethro (Yitro). The initial section of the portion describes the great respect Moses shows him. It also conveys an episode where Jethro criticizes Moses for overworking…

Open Letter to Congressman Ted Lieu

Dear Congressman Lieu, We students at UCLA acknowledge the work that you have done as Congressman of California’s 33rd District. As Jewish student leaders, we are especially grateful for your willingness to stand up for our community. In addition to…

Israel’s battle for sovereignty

When it comes to the tiny State of Israel, there is no shortage of controversial news topics. The newest debate concerns the Government Transparency Bill, which would necessitate Non-Governmental Organizations that receive most of their financial backing from “foreign political…

Taste of Torah: God is in this place

This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Vayetze, starts with Jacob camping for the night and resting his head on a stone to sleep. He dreams of a ladder stretching to the heavens, with endless angels ascending and descending the ladder (Genesis 28:10-12).…