Over the past several weeks, a major debate has taken place in America over what could be a defining moment for the world of technology. This debate, the FBI vs Apple encryption dispute, proves most intriguing since Cellebrite, an Israeli…
Israel
“Intifada”
Ha’Am staff writer Yaacov Tarko and Wali Kamal of Al-Talib work together to deconstruct the different meanings of the word “Intifada” Yaacov: My relatives in Israel have been personally affected by violent attacks in the current “silent Intifada,” and one…
(Jewish) workers of the world unite: on Marxist Zionism
In modern political discourse in America and much of the West, there is an unspoken assumption that Zionism and leftism are inherently at cross-purposes—that to be left-wing means to be anti-Zionist and hostile to Israel. However, this was not always…
Call me “Matan”
How a Chinese-American student became the face of Hebrew fluency at UCLA. I had been working on my Hebrew homework one day at Hillel when I heard someone speaking fluent Hebrew beside me. I turned my head and saw a…
Never again: Why Israel has a Jewish identity
Last week, a friend invited me to a political club where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was being discussed. The lecturer, a fellow UCLA student, was explaining that many Israeli Jews are worried that the minority Arab population is growing at a…
Zusha comes home
In Hassidic tradition, they tell the story of Rebbe Zusha of Hanipol, a true tzaddik (righteous man), crying on his deathbed. His students and the community surrounded and offered consolation. One student said, “Rebbe Zusha, why do you cry? You…
Israel and Palestine: Beyond two states
Mainstream public discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict revolves entirely around the two-state solution. Under such a peace agreement, the Palestinians recognize Israel’s right to exist and jettison terrorism, tacitly proclaiming that violence is neither an an act of justice nor…
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…
SSI invites South African speakers for apartheid lecture
In light of week four’s Palestinian Awareness Week, in which Students for Justice in Palestine set up their annual “Apartheid Wall” comparing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to South African apartheid, Students Supporting Israel (SSI) teamed up with StandWIthUs on Feb.…
Can Hillel really be the center of Jewish student life for all Jewish students?
The Zionist (and anti-Zionist) public eye has recently been focused on the Open Hillel movement. Open Hillel is an organization that promotes pluralism of ideas and political opinions within the Jewish community and encourages organizations, such as Hillel, that lead…