According to Jewish tradition, the Jewish people’s Holy Temple in Jerusalem was twice destroyed on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av. Yesterday (July 24th), observant Jews fasted to mark the beginning of a three week mourning period which concludes on August 14th with the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av. This concept...
10 Tips for Breaking the Silence
Breaking the Silence (BTS) is an organization dedicated to revealing the ‘truth’ about the IDF. Loosely based on accounts of soldiers, BTS tries to highlight immoral incidents in the IDF. But after a recent Channel 10 investigation, Breaking the Silence can no longer be trusted as a reliable source. Here is a...
Mekonen: An Ethiopian’s Journey to becoming an IDF officer
Originally featured in JerusalemU‘s Beneath the Helmet, a film revealing the stories of a handful of soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Mekonen, an Ethiopian Israeli, had just drafted into the Paratroopers Unit. The film Mekonen was recently released, and focuses on the rest of his incredible journey after basic training. In the...
Brig. Gen. Danny Bren and the Technological Battlefront
Between Facebook, Instagram, and many other popular apps, our generation is hooked on technology. The IDF has become increasingly technology-oriented as well to combat the newest threat: cyberwarfare. As Brigadier General Danny Bren explains, Operation Protective Edge, the 2014 war in the Gaza Strip, was the world’s first significant technological war...
Breaking the Silence Gets Failing Grade in Channel 10’s Fact-Check
Once described as the “most hated group” in Israel, few NGOs evoke the same level of raw emotion as “Breaking the Silence” (BtS). The European-funded Israeli organization publishes testimony, in Hebrew and in English, of Israeli soldiers with the stated aim to “expose the Israeli public to the reality of everyday life in...
5 Reasons To Learn About Middle Eastern and African Jewry
The Jewish people have survived numerous atrocities, from slavery in Egypt, to the Spanish Inquisition, to the Farhud in Iraq and the Holocaust. This history of struggle shows that it is necessary to stand up against hatred and evil. Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa (JIMENA) is an organization with...
Airport Terrorism: Remembering Entebbe
Airports around the world —places thought to be highly secure—have been hit with terror attacks. In March, ISIS terrorists killed 34 people and injured over 270 people as part of an airport ambush in Brussels, Belgium. More recently, ISIS terrorists attacked civilians at the Istanbul airport, killing over 40 people. Unfortunately, airport terrorism is not a...
AJ+ is Lying to You
Seemingly liberal and chic, AJ+ markets itself as a youth alternative to the mainstream media. A quick glance through its Facebook page will lead the viewer on a tour of indigenous rights activism, Syrian suffering, and police brutality. Causes championed by young human rights activists have also been taken up...