In a state founded on principles of collectivism, social justice, and equality, today, Israel’s government espouses economic policies that are radically different from the original ideals, and the negative consequences are catching up. Prime Minister Netanyahu has consistently pushed for…
A move toward accommodating different religious beliefs
College can be stressful enough without having to deal with religious concerns. When Shabbat or Jewish holidays come around, they should not be cause for anxiety, embarrassment, or any other strains due to class and exam conflicts. Enter the Jewish…
Israel at the Oscars
The 85th annual Academy Award celebration boasted some of Hollywood’s premier talent. While most viewers were closely attuned to the celebrity sightings, spectacular gowns, provocative host, show-stopping performances, and the major awards themselves, some of us with strong Jewish and…
Fatah squanders opportunity to encourage Palestinian rapprochement
Last night, the Jerusalem Post reported on Fatah officials’ “furious” reaction to news of the indirect negotiations currently taking place between Israel and Hamas in Egypt. Officials of the State of Israel and Hamas (the dominant Palestinian political party in…
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: a movement fueled by hate
In general, people who are misinformed about the facts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict tend to assume that peace is entirely in the hands of the Israelis, and that Israel is maliciously preventing a peaceful agreement by refusing to surrender a…
The SodaStream controversy: should we boycott settlements?
Israel has long prided itself on being an environmentally conscious, technologically advanced nation. SodaStream is therefore exactly the kind of product Israel wants to promote: a machine which carbonates tap water, relegating fizzy drinks in a can as unnecessarily expensive…
Very superstitious: Sephardic practice driven by tradition or faith?
To the puzzlement of my roommates, I have a peculiar habit of scouring our apartment and obsessively closing every single one of our closets before going to bed. It is like an inexplicable intuition that itches and nags at me…
How Israel can change a Jew’s life
America is a melting pot of cultures, and it is undeniable that the distinctions setting apart each culture are slowly deteriorating. According to the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, Jews make up approximately 10% of the UCLA population. Surrounded by…
Morsi, Obama and Bibi: which of these is not like the others?
Please Note: The individual opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Ha’Am Newsmagazine as a whole. An exciting trifecta of recent events: the American presidential inauguration was a few weeks ago, Israeli elections just…
Is new Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel anti-Israel?
By now, thousands of articles have been written about newly-nominated Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. Many of them thrust one of two extremes at the reader: either that Chuck Hagel is a rabid anti-Semite and Israel-hater, or that Chuck Hagel is…