Analysis: Forget ‘rich Jew’ media stereotyping, it's time for some introspection

For a certain kind of US Jew who regards the media as an irritant and the European media as a scourge, the headline at the BBC website confirmed all their worst suspicions. “US rabbis arrested in crime probe,” it read, ignoring the mayors and other public officials caught up in a federal sting aimed at rooting out corruption.

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Analysis: The community’s insularity makes these stories more likely

Only two weeks before law enforcement agents arrested Rabbi Saul Kassin, chief rabbi of the American Syrian community, as part of a massive corruption sweep, another US chief rabbi pleaded guilty to exactly the same charge.

Naftali Tzvi Weisz, Rebbe of the Spinka Chasidic sect, admitted to laundering money by accepting tax-deductible charitable donations and then returning the money to the donors, minus a fee.

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Analysis: Rebuffing this man has become ‘brave’, but it’s an obvious stand

Richard Moore, who runs the Melbourne Film Festival, is my new hero.When faced with blackmail by Ken Loach, who threatened to pull Looking For Eric from Melbourne if Richard didn’t boycott Israel, Richard point-blank refused.

We may have won the test at Lords, but when it comes to balls, the Australians have led the way where Britain, embarrassingly, failed.

Mr Loach’s tactics worked only too well at the recent Edinburgh Film Festival, though he refused to go on the Today programme to discuss his position face-to-face.

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Bibi’s trap for Kadima

The next week could be a pivotal one in Israeli politics. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is determined to pass a new law in the Knesset, before the parliamentary summer recess begins, that will make it easier for parties to split and regroup.

The main target is Kadima.

Mr Netanyahu has never kept secret his ambition to bring about a dissolution of the party, which broke away from the Likud in 2005. He sees Kadima as illegitimate, a coincidental gathering of opportunists and, worst of all, a political threat.

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Analysis: Ics the real culprit Netanyahu?

Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu has learned that he does not have the support of US Jews, the pro-Israel lobby, or Congress. Not when it comes to settlements.

So Mr Netanyahu looked for an opportunity to change the subject. During an insignificant meeting between his new US ambassador and an American official usually not involved with Israel issues, the Americans raised the subject of Jewish building in East Jerusalem.

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Analysis: Force law on the Charedim

A woman is caught on tape detaching the feeding tube from her starving three-year-old in Hadassah Hospital, after years of bringing the child in with unexplained medical conditions and bodily injuries. She is arrested by authorities for child endangerment and jailed. In response, her community backs her up, burns property and assaults police and social workers.

This story makes no sense until you add that the woman is Charedi, a member of Neturei Karta sect in Jerusalem’s Meah Shearim.

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