On Nov. 4, 1995, Portland native Lee Gordon stood in Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv, where Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was addressing a peace rally in support of the Oslo Accords. At the end of the rally, Gordon, along with thousands of other Israelis, watched in horror as Rabin was assassinated by…
Two interesting events took place the first week of March as I wrote this article. They were hardly noticed internationally, but they offer a compelling view of Israel’s modern-day reality. Negotiations to form a new governing coalition dominated the headlines in Israel. But two other events should be remembered: two Israeli films were finalists at…
In the run-up to the elections, the vast majority of media commentators and so-called experts relentlessly classified these elections as the least interesting and lackluster in recent memory. This is the ninth time I have witnessed an Israeli election cam- paign in all of its sometimes wondrous and often questionable glory. While I am far…
Last year 357 young adults from Oregon had what many describe as a life-changing Birthright trip to Israel, but 382 others were put on a waitlist. Birthright Israel Foundation Portland cochairs Dana Hunt and Alan Bacharach organized a gathering to help raise enough money for a half bus from Oregon, which costs $60,000. About half…
