The first official effort of the US to begin peace talks with the Taliban ended in disaster when the Taliban proclaimed itself a sovereign nation, enraging Karzai, who then called off bilateral security talks with the US.

Shalom Sesame: Seth Rogen with Elmo, word of the day: Todah. Elmo’s been in trouble recently, but still, Kevin Clash, the Elmo puppeteer who resigned amid allegations that he sexually abused underage boys, has just won three Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on “Sesame Street.” Not sure if he said: Todah.

Sometimes, in this country, when things are going crazy all around us, and our worries are riddles with worries, and our anxieties threaten to overwhelm our sanity, we just need to look at our children. What a fine bunch of children we’ve raised here. Sweet, and honest, and bursting with joy. You’re worried about the [...]

When in a quandary we must always turn to our holy books and search for answers.

In this week’s parshah Bilam decides to approach Balak with the intention of cursing the Bnei Yisrael. En route his donkey refused to continue on the path, continuing to veer to the side of the road. At one point the donkey smashed Bilam’s leg into the wall. Bilam hit his donkey three different times. The reason that his donkey would not proceed is because it saw that there was a malach standing in the road with his sword drawn.

Offshore gas fields should be allowed to export no more than 40 percent of the natural gas they produce, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday. The Cabinet is expected to approve the recommendation at Sunday’s weekly session. The limit is more restrictive than the 53 percent that was suggested by a committee set up to [...]

The UN only recently expanded its presence in Mogadishu, believing the terrorist organization al Shabab had been routed by African Union peacekeepers.

My parents arrived as Austrian Jewish refugees in Switzerland almost exactly sixty years ago.

Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant defended his band’s decision to play in Israel amid pressure from the Boycott Israel movement to cancel the June 23 concert. A statement by Tennant was posted on the British duo’s official website following the release of a poster showing them wearing sunglasses stamped with the captions “1 child [...]

Cisco’s CEO touts Arab-Jewish teamwork, meet with Peres, announces an innovation venture with   Bezeq communications system, and predicts Israel will be the world’s first totally digital country. Cisco CEO John Chambers, speaking about his company’s involvement in Israel Electric Corporation’s fiber optic venture, predicted on Wednesday, “Israel is about to become the first fully digital [...]

Israel is a country that understands security concerns. Many civil rights have been sacrificed in the name of security and Israelis are used to being checked every time they enter a shopping center, a large store or any public building. Americans recently learned that they, too, are subject to many checks on their most private activities.

Rewind sixty years to 1953.

Television was considered kosher by most and featured the likes of Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, George Burns, Red Buttons, Perry Como, Arthur Godfrey, Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger, Dinah Shore, Red Skelton, Danny Thomas, Jack Webb as Joe Friday on “Dragnet” and many others who provided great memories.