“I was killing because Jews are killing in Palestine” explained  as justification for his recent killing spree in Toulouse, France. Peculiar idea about justice isn’t it?

The lack of tolerance towards Jews in Europe has been expressed in numerous ways. There have been articles decrying Israel’s unjust treatment of Palestinians and there have been discriminatory actions take by specific European governments targeting Jewish ritual practices. Nevertheless, the murder of 4 innocent civilians in France has appropriately shocked everyone’s sensibilities. The murderer was allegedly trained by al-Qaeda, but that’s really beside the point. The truly disturbing part of the story is how his motivation stemmed from a particularly perverse conception of justice that is beyond my comprehension.

To catch a glimpse of Medieval xenophobic rage, simply google ‘Russia elections Jews’ (in Russian, of course). Hundreds of blog posts, YouTube videos, forum discussions and more offer the following unlikely story: the Jews are out to destroy Russia’s peace and stability by preventing Vladimir Putin’s reelection. Moreover, you will find people saying that in conjunction with vicious liberals from the EU and US, Jews are threatening Russian prosperity by imposing detrimental values on Russian society. While this is certainly not the position of the Russian majority, the mere presence of such a group within Russian society should be extremely disconcerting.

Israel's survival depends on its military hegemony in the Middle East to keep it safe. A nuclear Iran changes that calculus, and not necessarily by threatening Israel with nuclear annihilation.  It is the prospect of an Iran that is emboldened, emboldened to use its proxies in Lebanon and Gaza to terrorize Israeli civilians in the North and South and an Iran that is emboldened to threaten America's Arab allies in the Gulf, which will lead them to pursue their own atomic weapons.  The prospect of a power shift in the Middle East and the arms race that might ensue in the Arab world has the international community most frightened.

For Americans who are burnt out by the negative and aggressive public dynamic between opposing political factions on Palestine-Israel peace, hope lives! I am thrilled to introduce you to some incredible people with their priorities in order who are coming from the Holy Land and speaking sanely about how to move forward. These people have already demonstrated the ability to reach a diverse political spread of people, and they are only in the earliest stages of their work.

Iran might be starting a new war. This time a war that could be unpredictable and damaging. As never before. A nuclear war. What would this mean and how would we react?

In the United Kingdom the news from Iran has been relatively present in our media but the importance has been muted by the growing tensions taking place regarding The Falklands. Once again Argentina seems to be in a mood for war. The Brits, harkening back to the victories of Margaret Thatcher in the previous war would definitely push the current Prime Minister, David Cameron, to act decidedly if the situation worsened.

But what about Iran? Is the UK ready to oppose illegal nuclear proliferation and appease to a potential threat?

The Iranian nuclear threat seems to be receiving an obvious response a variety of people and societies all over the world. War seems very probable and the Americans appear willing to entertain the idea of a greater conflict. Meanwhile, Europeans may still hope to be a bit removed but nevertheless realize the precariousness of the situation.

However, those who do truly realize the danger of the Iranian threats are the Israelis. They are most certainly the first probable victims of Iran’s aggression. Being pro-Israeli or not, all Jewish communities and each Jewish person ought to be on the Israeli side here. A danger to Israel signifies a danger for the entire Jewish people, and Iran represents an absolute danger.

Somedays in Israel, you just can’t see the forest from the trees. But lately, the focus has been more on the actual plants than the metaphorical ones, as Tu B’shvat was once again celebrated last Wednesday. Actually, Israelis have been marking the occasion throughout the past week. Just like Pesach, Tu B’shvat has within it a concept of a “seder.” In Judaism’s history of freedom, participants relive the Exodus from Egypt. With the Jewish New Year for Trees (so named because it’s the date for counting the age of trees, which is needed for biblical commandments relating to tithing), the traditional meal revolves around tasting different fruits from the Holy Land.

In yet another example of a living, dynamic Judaism --- a Judaism that is vibrant, growing and out in the streets --- this holiday, which was relegated to minor-league status in the Diaspora, has taken on new life in the formerly desolate and now newly blooming landscape. Every kid in the country sings songs about the trees, generally with a healthy helping of fresh fruit and nuts. The symbolic planting of trees and day-long outings into the forests is prolific. Heated rivalries are put aside as political opponents stand side-by-side to plant saplings. Jewish takes on environmental and ecological issues come to the fore as educational institutions open their doors for free lectures and learning events.

Somedays in Israel, you just can’t see the forest from the trees. But lately, the focus has been more on the actual plants than the metaphorical ones, as Tu B’shvat was once again celebrated last Wednesday. Actually, Israelis have been marking the occasion throughout the past week. Just like Pesach, Tu B’shvat has within it a concept of a “seder.” In Judaism’s history of freedom, participants relive the Exodus from Egypt. With the Jewish New Year for Trees (so named because it’s the date for counting the age of trees, which is needed for biblical commandments relating to tithing), the traditional meal revolves around tasting different fruits from the Holy Land.

In yet another example of a living, dynamic Judaism --- a Judaism that is vibrant, growing and out in the streets --- this holiday, which was relegated to minor-league status in the Diaspora, has taken on new life in the formerly desolate and now newly blooming landscape. Every kid in the country sings songs about the trees, generally with a healthy helping of fresh fruit and nuts. The symbolic planting of trees and day-long outings into the forests is prolific. Heated rivalries are put aside as political opponents stand side-by-side to plant saplings. Jewish takes on environmental and ecological issues come to the fore as educational institutions open their doors for free lectures and learning events.

It is obvious that a child is a human being that should be always offered protection, care and respect. No matter how one behaves, she or he deserves embracing and love. The case of Naama Margolese proves that this perception of childhood might be far from true in some societies.

The girl in question was spat on because she was considered to be dressed immodestly. Arguing what is provocative and what is not seems to be out of place in the context of a child who became a tool in a game of rancor between adults. Apparently, the tensions that have been covered under a thin coat of political correctness and deceptive gestures were released in a most unimaginable way. Naturally, the ultra orthodox tendencies have been present in discussions, they evoked various actions or protests, but the harassment of Naama might have opened a way to privately managed social anathema. From the perspective of a student living in the UK, this type of extremism channeled to an unprotected and evidently innocent being is simply unconceivable. The added religious background of the whole event makes it even more dreadful. What is more, some environments tend to argue that the harassing behavior of those spitting on a girl was an expression of religious emotions. No other logic can be more ludicrous.

I am a women, a mother, a Jew. I have been educated at University and in my Jewish home. I see things happening around me, both the good and the bad. However, one would imagine that in today’s society there is a certain level of freedom, tolerance, respect, the ability to live without fear, to feel safe and to have human rights protected.

Who gives someone the liberty to humiliate, bully, or harass another human being, especially a younger person? Surely this is not fear but possibly some combination of a lack of education, discrimination, hyper-nationalism, extremism, and self-anti-Semitism within the one country that Jews were waiting for. Why is this happening?

Naama’s story reached many people in the world, through the written press and TV outlets. After reading about the story you ask yourself, “is this actually possible”?