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Daybreak: Boston Jews Divided

A letter, a warning, and more from the news

by
Hadara Graubart
August 11, 2009

• Boston’s Jewish community is torn between those who support the recall of Israeli consul Nadav Tamir for his criticism of his country’s policies, and those who admire him; the split reflects a conflict over President Obama’s Israel policy in the “epicenter of Jewish liberalism.” [JPost]
• A letter to Obama signed by 71 senators—including only six of the 13 Jewish senators—and backed by AIPAC implores Arab leaders to take “tangible steps” toward recognizing Israel. [JPost]
• Two experts make a case that a two-state solution would not solve the real problem of historical tension between Israelis and Palestinians, who, “whenever they inch toward an artful compromise over the realities of the present, are inexorably drawn back to the ghosts of the past.” [NYT]
• Israel is warning vacationing citizens to leave the Sinai area of Egypt immediately, suspecting terror attacks during the upcoming High Holiday period. [Haaretz]
• 90-year-old former Nazi Josef Scheungraber was given a (presumably short) life sentence by the court in Munich. [NYT]

Hadara Graubart was formerly a writer and editor for Tablet Magazine.