Proud of my city, (and not for the first time....)

One place where opposition to Israel’s policies finds concrete expression amongst Jews both within Israel and internationally is in a wide range of boycotts and divestments

activities aimed at promoting legal equality and human rights in Israel-Palestine.

Yes, the Iraq War was a disaster of historic proportions. Yes, seeing its architects return to prime time to smugly slam President Obama while taking no responsibility for their own, far greater, failures is infuriating.

But sooner or later, honest liberals will have to admit that Obama’s Iraq policy has been a disaster. Since the president took office, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has grown ever more tyrannical and ever more sectarian, driving his country’s Sunnis toward revolt. Since Obama took office, Iraq watchers—including those within his own administration—have warned that unless the United States pushed hard for inclusive government, the country would slide back into civil war. Yet the White House has been so eager to put Iraq in America’s rearview mirror that, publicly at least, it has given Maliki an almost-free pass.

France has Europe's largest remaining Jewish population, with more than one-half million Jews.  We have family in Paris, and both of my daughters came to know their grandmother's first cousin quite well when they studied there.  She and her husband survived the war and they are fiercely French.    

So what is the future for European Jewry?   With the far-right garnering 25 percent of the French vote in the recent EU elections,and with a growing and increasingly hostile segment of the muslim population, Jews -- or at least visibly Jewish Jews --  are genuinely concerned. 

Is this circumstantial, i.e. is it all about Israel, or is it OK to view what is going on in light of a voluminous and centuries-old historical record?  That question is rhetorical, really. The concern about European Jewry is anything but rhetoric.   

I have been following this story for the last couple of months. At first the WHO was not to concerned because it usually get isolated and dies out.  This time it is different. The out break started in several places at once in West Africa.  Ebola usually is in Central Africa.  

Still broken and can't be fixed. . .it's just an absolute tragedy.

Appears that only the shooter was killed. No other information, other than police saying that the situation has been stabilized

Update: One student along with the shooter was killed.

About a year ago or so I posted a news item about Yair Lapid, and the possibility that he would at some point exert influence on Netanyahu and those to his right.  Lapid is a former popular television commentator and ventured into politics only recently.  His political party, Yesh Atid ("There is a Future") won enough votes to become a power broker in the formation of the current Knesset majority, and he was named and continues to serve as Israel's Finance Minister.

Now, Lapid appears to be doubling down and is giving Netanyahu six months to take the peace process more seriously, or he threatens to withdraw from the coalition and force new elections.  As some of you know, Netanyahu's coalition also includes Tzvi Lipni as Minister of Justice, and she and her colleagues have been relentless in attacking Netanyahu and his right-wing head-ache inducers as well.  

Like her or hate her, Israel is governed by a parliamentary democracy and that makes the Knesset anything but a rubber stamp for Netanyahu and his cronies.  

Some of us who don't subscribe to cereal box-type assessments making the U.S. the evil empire or Israel as the lesser Satan were called delusional -- edited to add that this is as I read his comment anyway -- by a former contributor last week in a drive-by comment in which he also told us he has no time to try to change our minds. I was surprised by that, but in any event it's a reflection of what makes it so difficult to write  about the Middle East peace process on a website that tends to attract those of us to the left of the center.

This news article I provide provides facts for those who have a genuine interest in the dynamics about the peace process, and I offer it accordingly.  I would invite consideration of how, if at all, the Obama Administration might play a role in influencing Israel's internal politics -- as I would say Bibi blatantly (I think) tried to do on behalf of his buddy Romney back in 2012.

Looks like the illegal immigration rampage of the 90's is back - guess it's a good sign our economy is doing better.

""How do you prevent anyone from coming into a store, a Home Depot or anywhere else, and shooting anyone they want?"....Is this a question that answers itself, or what?