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WE VALUE YOUR PRIVACY We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as cookies and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and standard information sent by a device for personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, and audience insights, as well as to develop and improve products. With your permission we and our partners may use precise geolocation data and identification through device scanning. You may click to consent to our and our partners’ processing as described above. Alternatively you may access more detailed information and change your preferences before consenting or to refuse consenting. Please note that some processing of your personal data may not require your consent, but you have a right to object to such processing. Your preferences will apply to this website only. You can change your preferences at any time by returning to this site or visit our privacy policy. MORE OPTIONSAgree Skip to main content Join our Community Support ToI and remove all ads Learn more * English * العربية * Français * فارسی * עברית * Get The Daily Edition * Account * Sign In search search * Israel & the Region * Jewish Times * Israel Inside * Tech Israel * Real Estate Israel * The Blogs * Podcasts * Video * Newsletters * The Daily Edition What Matters Most Today * Tech Israel Updates from Silicon Wadi * Real Estate Israel Weekly Update * The Weekend Edition The Best Reads of the Week * Weekly Highlights Choice Voices From The Blogs * Partners * Atlanta Atlanta Jewish Times * North New Jersey The Jewish Standard * Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle * United Kingdom The Jewish News * Australia The Australian Jewish News * For Publishers Become a Partner * Community * Join our community * Sign in * * About The Times of Israel * Advertise on The Times of Israel * Contact us * Get the Daily Edition submit * Follow us Facebook Twitter * © 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved Terms and conditions Privacy policy * search Advertisement home page JAILED US CONTRACTOR WAS TRYING TO SET UP SATELLITE LINK FOR CUBA’S JEWS REVIEW REVEALS ALAN GROSS WANTED TO ESTABLISH UNCENSORED INTERNET SERVICE FOR JEWISH COMMUNITY By Desmond Butler 13 February 2012, 8:07 am 0 Edit * Facebook * Twitter * linkedin * email * Print USAID worker Alan Gross arriving at a Havana courthouse for his trial in March 2011. (photo credit: AP Photo/Franklin Reyes, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Piece by piece, in backpacks and carry-on bags, American aid contractor Alan Gross made sure laptops, smartphones, hard drives and networking equipment were secreted into Cuba. The most sensitive item, according to official trip reports, was the last one: a specialized mobile phone chip that experts say is often used by the Pentagon and the CIA to make satellite signals virtually impossible to track. The purpose, according to an Associated Press review of Gross’ reports, was to set up uncensored satellite Internet service for Cuba’s small Jewish community. The operation was funded as democracy promotion for the U.S. Agency for International Development, established in 1961 to provide economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of U.S. foreign policy goals. Gross, however, identified himself as a member of a Jewish humanitarian group, not a representative of the U.S. government. State of Jerusalem: The Maqdasyin Video Player is loading. Play Video PauseNext playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:03 / Duration 12:35 Loaded: 5.54% 00:03 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind liveLIVE Remaining Time -12:32 1x Playback Rate Chapters * Chapters Descriptions * descriptions off, selected Captions * captions settings, opens captions settings dialog * captions off, selected Audio Track * en (Main), selected Picture-in-PictureFullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque Font Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall Caps Reset restore all settings to the default valuesDone Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. 00:00 Skip ad > Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Cuban President Raul Castro called him a spy, and Gross was sentenced last March to 15 years in prison for seeking to “undermine the integrity and independence” of Cuba. U.S. officials say he did nothing wrong and was just carrying out the normal mission of USAID. Gross said at his trial in Cuba that he was a “trusting fool” who was duped. But his trip reports indicate that he knew his activities were illegal in Cuba and that he worried about the danger, including possible expulsion. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms One report says a community leader “made it abundantly clear that we are all ‘playing with fire.'” Another time Gross said: “This is very risky business in no uncertain terms.” And finally: “Detection of satellite signals will be catastrophic.” Advertisement The case has heightened frictions in the decades-long political struggle between the United States and its communist neighbor to the south, and raises questions about how far democracy-building programs have gone — and whether cloak-and-dagger work is better left to intelligence operatives. Gross’ company, JBDC Inc., which specializes in setting up Internet access in remote locations like Iraq and Afghanistan, had been hired by Development Alternatives Inc., or DAI, of Bethesda, Maryland, which had a multimillion-dollar contract with USAID to break Cuba’s information blockade by “technological outreach through phone banks, satellite Internet and cell phones.” Judy Gross and Peter J. Kahn, respectively wife of and lawyer for U.S. government contractor Alan Gross, arrive at the courthouse in Havana in March. (photo credit: AP/Javier Galeano) USAID officials reviewed Gross’ trip reports and received regular briefings on his progress, according to DAI spokesman Steven O’Connor. The reports were made available to the AP by a person familiar with the case who insisted on anonymity because of the documents’ sensitivity. The reports cover four visits over a five-month period in 2009. Another report, written by a representative of Gross’ company, covered his fifth and final trip, the one that ended with his arrest on Dec. 3, 2009. Together, the reports detail the lengths to which Gross went to escape Cuban authorities’ detection. To avoid airport scrutiny, Gross enlisted the help of other American Jews to bring in electronic equipment a piece at a time. He instructed his helpers to pack items, some of them banned in Cuba, in carry-on luggage, not checked bags. Advertisement He once drove seven hours after clearing security and customs rather than risk airport searches. On his final trip, he brought in a “discreet” SIM card — or subscriber identity module card — intended to keep satellite phone transmissions from being pinpointed within 250 miles (400 kilometers), if they were detected at all. The type of SIM card used by Gross is not available on the open market and is distributed only to governments, according to an official at a satellite telephone company familiar with the technology and a former U.S. intelligence official who has used such a chip. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the technology, said the chips are provided most frequently to the Defense Department and the CIA, but also can be obtained by the State Department, which oversees USAID. Asked how Gross obtained the card, USAID spokesman Drew Bailey said only that the agency played no role in helping Gross acquire equipment. “We are a development agency, not an intelligence agency,” he said. Cuba’s communist government considers all USAID democracy promotion activities to be illegal and a national security threat. USAID denies that any of its work is covert. Gross’ American lawyer, Peter J. Kahn, declined comment but has said in the past that Gross’ actions were not aimed at subverting the Cuban government. Cuban authorities consider Internet access to be a matter of national security and block some sites that are critical of the government, as well as pages with content that they deem as counterrevolutionary. Most Cubans have access only to a severely restricted island-wide Intranet service. Proponents of providing Internet access say it can undermine authoritarian governments that control the flow of information to their people. Critics say the practice not only endangers contractors like Gross, but all American aid workers, even those not involved in secret activities. Advertisement “All too often, the outside perception is that these USAID people are intelligence officers,” said Philip Giraldi, an ex-CIA officer. “That makes it bad for USAID, it makes it bad for the CIA and for any other intelligence agency who like to fly underneath the radar.” Even before he delivered the special SIM card, Gross noted in a trip report that use of Internet satellite phones would be “problematic if exposed.” He was aware that authorities were using sophisticated detection equipment and said he saw workers for the government-owned telecommunications service provider conduct a radio frequency “sniff” the day before he was to set up a community’s Wi-Fi operation. USAID: NO COVERT WORK U.S. diplomats say they believe Gross was arrested to pressure the Obama administration to roll back its democracy-promotion programs. The Cuban government has alleged without citing any evidence that the programs, funded under a 1996 law calling for regime change in Cuba, are run by the CIA as part of an intelligence plan to topple the government in Havana. While the U.S. government broadly outlines the goals of its aid programs in publicly available documents, the work in Cuba could not exist without secrecy because it is illegal there. Citing security concerns, U.S. agencies have refused to provide operational details even to congressional committees overseeing the programs. “The reason there is less disclosure on these programs in totalitarian countries is because the people are already risking their lives to exercise their fundamental rights,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone, who runs the Washington-based Cuba Democracy Advocates. USAID rejected the notion that its contractors perform covert work. “Nothing about USAID’s Cuba programs is covert or classified in any way,” says Mark Lopes, a deputy assistant administrator. “We simply carry out activities in a discreet manner to ensure the greatest possible safety of all those involved.” Advertisement The U.S. National Security Act defines “covert” as government activities aimed at influencing conditions abroad “where it is intended that the role of the United States Government will not be apparent or acknowledged publicly.” USAID’s democracy promotion work in Cuba was spurred by a large boost in funding under the Bush administration and a new focus on providing communications technology to Cubans. U.S. funding for Cuban aid multiplied from $3.5 million in 2000 to $45 million in 2008. It’s now $20 million. Gross was paid a half-million dollars as a USAID subcontractor, according to U.S. officials familiar with the contract. They spoke only on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case. USAID head Raj Shah said democracy promotion is “absolutely central” to his agency’s work. The Obama administration says its Cuba programs aim to help politically repressed citizens enjoy fundamental rights by providing humanitarian support, encouraging democratic development and aiding the free flow of information. U.S. officials say Gross’ work was not subversion because he was setting up connections for Cuba’s Jewish community, not for dissidents. Jewish leaders have said that they were unaware of Gross’ connections to the U.S. government and that they already were provided limited Internet access. USAID has not said why it thought the community needed such sensitive technology. Asked if such programs are meant to challenge existing leaders, Lopes said, “For USAID, our democracy programs in Cuba are not about changing a particular regime. That’s for the Cuban people to decide, and we believe they should be afforded that choice.” Others disagree. “Of course, this is covert work,” said Robert Pastor, President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser for Latin America and now director of the Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University in Washington. “It’s about regime change.” HARD TO MISS Gross, of Potomac, Maryland, was a gregarious man, about 6 feet (1.8 meters) and 250 pounds (113 kilograms). He was hard to miss. He had bought a Rosetta Stone language course to improve his rudimentary Spanish and had scant knowledge of Cuba. But he knew technology. His company specialized in installing communications gear in remote parts of the world. Gross’ first trip for DAI, which ended in early April 2009, focused on getting equipment in and setting up the first of three facilities with Wi-Fi hotspots that would give unrestricted Internet access to hundreds of Cubans, especially the island’s small Jewish community of 1,500. To get the materials in, Gross relied on American Jewish humanitarian groups doing missions on the island. He traveled with the groups, relying on individuals to help bring in the equipment, according to the trip reports. Three people briefed on Gross’ work say he told contacts in Cuba he represented a Jewish organization, not the U.S. government. USAID says it now expects people carrying out its programs to disclose their U.S. government funding to the people they are helping — if asked. One of Gross’ reports suggests he represented himself as a member of one of the groups and that he traveled with them so he could intercede with Cuban authorities if questions arose. The helpers were supposed to pack single pieces of equipment in their carry-on luggage. That way, Gross wrote, any questions could best be handled during the X-ray process at security, rather than at a customs check. The material was delivered to Gross later at a Havana hotel, according to the trip reports. USAID has long relied on visitors willing to carry in prohibited material, such as books and shortwave radios, U.S. officials briefed on the programs say. And USAID officials have acknowledged in congressional briefings that they have used contractors to bring in software to send encrypted messages over the Internet, according to participants in the briefings. An alarm sounded on one of Gross’ trips when one of his associates tried to leave the airport terminal; the courier had placed his cargo — a device that can extend the range of a wireless network — into his checked bag. Gross intervened, saying the device was for personal use and was not a computer hard drive or a radio. According to the trip reports, customs officials wanted to charge a 100 percent tax on the value of the item, but Gross bargained them down and was allowed to leave with it. “On that day, it was better to be lucky than smart,” Gross wrote. Much of the equipment Gross helped bring in is legal in Cuba, but the volume of the goods could have given Cuban authorities a good idea of what he was up to. “Total equipment” listed on his fourth trip included 12 iPods, 11 BlackBerry Curve smartphones, three MacBooks, six 500-gigabyte external drives, three Internet satellite phones known as BGANs, three routers, three controllers, 18 wireless access points, 13 memory sticks, three phones to make calls over the Internet, and networking switches. Some pieces, such as the networking and satellite equipment, are explicitly forbidden in Cuba. Gross wrote that he smuggled the BGANs in a backpack. He had hoped to fool authorities by taping over the identifying words on the equipment: “Hughes,” the manufacturer, and “Inmarsat,” the company providing the satellite Internet service. The BGANs were crucial because they provide not only satellite telephone capacity but an Internet signal that can establish a Wi-Fi hotspot for multiple users. The appeal of using satellite Internet connections is that data goes straight up, never passing through government-controlled servers. AWARE OF THE RISKS There was always the chance of being discovered. Last year, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee asked about clandestine methods used to hide the programs and reports that some of them had been penetrated. “Possible counterintelligence penetration is a known risk in Cuba,” the State Department said in a written response to AP. “Those who carry out our assistance are aware of such risks.” Gross’ first trip to Cuba ended in early April 2009 with establishment of a communications site in Havana. He went back later that month and stayed about 10 days while a site was set up in Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city. On his third trip, for two weeks in June 2009, Gross traveled to a city in the middle of the island identified by a U.S. official as Camaguey. He rented a car in Havana and drove seven hours rather than risk another encounter with airport authorities. Gross wrote that BGANs should not be used outside Havana, where there were enough radio frequency devices to hide the emissions. The report for Gross’s fourth trip, which ended early that August, was marked final and summarized his successes: wireless networks established in three communities; about 325 users; “communications to and from the U.S. have improved and used on a regular basis.” He again concluded the operation was “very risky business.” BACK TO CUBA Gross would have been fine if he had stopped there. In late November 2009, however, he went back to Cuba for a fifth time. This time he didn’t return. He was arrested 11 days later. An additional report was written afterward on the letterhead of Gross’ company. It was prepared with assistance from DAI to fulfill a contract requirement for a summary of his work, and so everyone could get paid, according to officials familiar with the document. > ‘I am deeply sorry for being a trusting fool. I was duped. I was used’ The report said Gross had planned to improve security of the Havana site by installing an “alternative sim card” on the satellite equipment. The card would mask the signal of the BGAN as it transmitted to a satellite, making it difficult to track where the device was located. The document concluded that the site’s security had been increased. It is unclear how DAI confirmed Gross’ work for the report on the final trip, though a document, also on Gross’ company letterhead, states that a representative for Gross contacted the Jewish community in Cuba five times after his arrest. In a statement at his trial, Gross professed his innocence and apologized. “I have never, would never and will never purposefully or knowingly do anything personally or professionally to subvert a government,” he said. “I am deeply sorry for being a trusting fool. I was duped. I was used.” In an interview with AP, his wife, Judy, blamed DAI, the company that sent him to Cuba, for misleading him on the risks. DAI spokesman O’Connor said in a statement that Gross “designed, proposed, and implemented this work” for the company. Meanwhile, the 62-year-old Gross sits in a military prison hospital. His family says he has lost about 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and they express concern about his health. All the U.S. diplomatic attempts to win his freedom have come up empty and there is no sign that Cuba is prepared to act on appeals for a humanitarian release. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. 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Limited Time Promotion Ryanhatters | Sponsored Simple Prostate Shrinking Solution Helps Men Over 50 medicalhelp.me | Sponsored Doctor: If You Have Tinnitus (Ear Ringing) Do This Immediately! healthtrend.live | Sponsored Auf der Suche nach günstigen Mietwagen Gesponserte Anzeigen | Sponsored Advertisement September 3, 2023 Current Top Stories Live Attorney general asks court to strike down law curtailing oversight of government By Joshua Davidovich Gali Baharav-Miara presents latest challenge to Netanyahu-led coalition, urging judges to disqualify amendment to Basic Law voiding reasonableness test for government decisions * 1hr ago Netanyahu talks gas, Turkey with Cypriot leader * 2hr ago Two Palestinians arrested over April attack on kibbutz near northern West Bank * 2hr ago Ben Gvir spars with jeering Tel Aviv residents at site of Saturday riots * 2hr ago Antisemitism czar Lipstadt joins outcry against reported bid to oust Yad Vashem head ‘A real threat’: PM backs widespread arrests, eyes deportations in migrant crackdown By ToI Staff After riots, cabinet members okay administrative detentions, weigh pulling work permits; Netanyahu says they’ll also strive ‘to get all the rest of the illegal infiltrators out’ Some 40 still hospitalized after Eritrean migrant riots, 12 in serious condition By Renee Ghert-Zand and ToI Staff Officer hospitalized with serious head injury after migrant clashes in Tel Aviv By ToI Staff US officials voice concern over alleged government bid to oust Yad Vashem chairman By Jacob Magid Antisemitism envoy Lipstadt stresses ‘professionalism and independence’ of institution; PM and wife push back against reports saying they seek to replace Dani Dayan with loyalist 123 Holocaust experts: Gov’t attack on Yad Vashem chief threatens memory of 6 million By ToI Staff Education minister seen as seeking to oust Yad Vashem head Dani Dayan By ToI Staff In Tel Aviv’s tense south, business owners guard stores damaged in Eritrean riots By Canaan Lidor A clash between rioters, ostensibly over politics in Eritrea, has left some stakeholders in despair about the area’s prospects AG approves Levin’s request for independent counsel in judicial selection panel case By Jeremy Sharon Justice minister had claimed Baharav-Miara has ‘extremist positions,’ also asks to postpone High Court hearing set for Thursday so a new legal team can prepare ToI podcast Daily Briefing Sept. 3: Why the PM dropped a 2018 deal for Eritrean asylum seekers By ToI Staff Editor David Horovitz on violent Shabbat clashes in Tel Aviv, poor diplomacy with Libya; military reporter Emanuel Fabian on rioting on Gaza border, Thursday’s deadly terror attack ExplainerEritreans in Israel: Long neglected, divided amongst themselves and dividing society By ToI Staff Hospital chief says ‘can’t recall’ medical event on scale of Eritrean migrant clashes By ToI Staff PM: Foreign Ministry publication of Libya meeting ‘not helpful,’ won’t happen again By ToI Staff In interview with Cypriot press, Netanyahu says ‘it’s very important to maintain discreet channels… They shouldn’t be publicized in an uncontrolled way’ Libya’s chief prosecutor seeking more details on minister’s meeting with Israeli FM By AP and ToI Staff Libyan PM rejects Israel normalization in first public remarks since his FM met Cohen By AP and ToI Staff Analysis Amir Bar Shalom Iranian claims about suspension of ex-US envoy Rob Malley shake up Washington Tehran Times publishes ostensible letter informing diplomat that his security clearance is ‘suspended pending an ongoing investigation’ amid ‘serious security concerns’ What long COVID taught me: How to help a friend with chronic illness By Melanie Lidman Instead of ’Are you feeling better?’ and ’What do you need?’ here are some truly helpful questions you can ask Tel Aviv school principal resigns as board bans student event on refusing IDF draft By ToI Staff Some 200 students intended to jointly announce refusal to serve in military, citing judicial overhaul and actions in West Bank; Education Ministry had threatened to defund school In first, head of Moroccan senate to make official visit to Knesset on Thursday By Carrie Keller-Lynn Rabat lawmaker Enaam Mayara will be one of the most senior foreign Muslim lawmakers to officially visit Knesset in Israel’s history Nasrallah meets with Palestinian terror chiefs amid high tensions with Israel By ToI Staff Hezbollah leader, along with Hamas deputy politburo chief Saleh al-Arouri and Ziyad al-Nakhala, head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, recommit to fight ‘against Zionist enemy’ Hundreds of Palestinians riot on Gaza border; 9 said wounded by IDF fire By Emanuel Fabian Palestinian killed during IDF raid in northern West Bank town By Emanuel Fabian Netanyahu heads to Cyprus for talks with Cypriot, Greek leaders By Carrie Keller-Lynn PM set to meet separately and together with tightly aligned Mediterranean leaders; trip seen as statement that the alliances are valued despite Israel’s renewed ties with Istanbul After 9 months without high-level visits, FM Cohen heads to Bahrain By Lazar Berman ‘They dare accuse the IDF of working for terrorists’: 35th week of overhaul rallies By ToI Staff Some 100,000 protest against government in Tel Aviv after day of migrant rioting in city; attendees urged to donate blood to the injured Kyiv court orders detention of Israeli-Ukrainian oligarch on corruption charges By ToI Staff and Agencies Igor Kolomoisky to be held for two months for alleged fraud and money-laundering; defense lawyers say he will appeal detention but won’t post bail of nearly $14 million Iran adds Russian-made combat trainer jets to its air force By Agencies Nobel Foundation withdraws invitation to Russia, Belarus, Iran to attend ceremonies By AP Imam shot and killed in Kafr Qara, marking 166th death in Arab community this year By ToI Staff Murder of 60-year-old Sheikh Sami Abed al-Latif follows double homicide in town on Thursday Hamas: ‘Zionist occupation’ to blame for crime wave in Israel’s Arab community By ToI Staff Two killed in northern town, raising homicide toll in Arab community to 165 By ToI Staff More Headlines Major study advises young people, pregnant women and drivers to avoid cannabis By ToI Staff Court extends custody of rabbi suspected of rape by deception By ToI Staff Israeli diamond tycoon arrested in Cyprus over corruption conviction in Romania By ToI Staff Shai Aharonovitz to be appointed head of Israel Tax Authority By Sharon Wrobel Germany charges 98-year-old former Nazi SS camp guard as accessory to murder By AP Alarm over Austria far-right Freedom Party’s ‘frightening’ video glorifying Nazi past By KIYOKO METZLER Iran sentences two journalists to jail time for ‘conspiracy’ and ‘collusion’ By AFP Swiss university seeks Jewish studies professor, but Jews blocked from the position By Jackie Hajdenberg UK unveils plans for ‘fitting tribute’ to Queen Elizabeth II By Agencies UN rights group: Iranian hijab bill constitutes ‘gender apartheid’ By AFP Berkeley AEPi shellfish dump wasn’t antisemitic vandalism, police and fraternity say By Emma Goss Iranian Revolutionary Guards seize ship they say is suspected of smuggling fuel By AFP Top Ops Richard E. Vatz The Tree of Life mass murderer deserves his sentence The strongest argument against the death penalty is fear of error, but the odds of executing an innocent person these days are basically nil Jonathan Muskat Gap year students and their mental health What is developmentally normal during my child’s Israel experience and what is a red flag that help is needed? Gershon Baskin The future of Hamas Elections will soon pit a local pragmatist against an Iran-allied extremist – either way, Hamas is integral in Palestinian politics Judy Halper My great uncle never went to Cairo But he did translate a fragment of its Geniza, along with Hebrew texts that include a 15th century philosopher whose politics ring familiar today Mitchell Bard Golda’s disservice to Golda Helen Mirren captures the former premier, but the film skates over the challenges she faced before and after the Yom Kippur War Elchanan Poupko Jerusalem’s new bridge to Israel’s future Anyone opposed to the battles in Israeli society should visit and remember that the Jews came together after terrible history. We can do so again Ghadir Hani Don’t leave me to bear this alone As the death toll among Arab Israelis soars, a plea for empathy and help, especially from the religious Jewish community Shmuel Rosenman As the school year starts, we must still teach the Holocaust Programs like March of the Living inculcate the knowledge and values urgently needed to counter the forces of intolerance Michael Kohler Freedom of movement The US slams Ben Gvir’s freedom of movement remarks. Fine, but why the silence on a similar issue over Israel’s border? Naftali Rothenberg The clash of minorities The only route to recovery from today’s crisis is to lay the ground for a collective majority consciousness David Bernstein American academics take a page out of the Soviet anti-Zionist playbook Coming to a campus near you: a brazen effort to create and legitimize a new field called ’Critical Zionist Studies’ Evan Gottesman Saudi Arabia and the allure of instant gratification There’s no point in rushing in if all the US gets from the Saudis and Israelis is vagaries on the Palestinian conflict Today's Daily Briefing Why the PM dropped a 2018 deal for Eritrean asylum seekers listen to the podcast Latest Articles * 5 minutes ago AnalysisIranian claims about suspension of ex-US envoy Rob Malley shake up Washington * 7 minutes ago US officials voice concern over alleged government bid to oust Yad Vashem chairman * 57 minutes ago Major study advises young people, pregnant women and drivers to avoid cannabis * 1 hour ago Court extends custody of rabbi suspected of rape by deception * 1 hour ago In Tel Aviv’s tense south, business owners guard stores damaged in Eritrean riots * 2 hours ago ‘A real threat’: PM backs widespread arrests, eyes deportations in migrant crackdown * 2 hours ago Israeli diamond tycoon arrested in Cyprus over corruption conviction in Romania * 3 hours ago Shai Aharonovitz to be appointed head of Israel Tax Authority * 3 hours ago PM: Foreign Ministry publication of Libya meeting ‘not helpful,’ won’t happen again * 4 hours ago Kyiv court orders detention of Israeli-Ukrainian oligarch on corruption charges * 4 hours ago Live updatesAttorney general asks court to strike down law curtailing oversight of government * 4 hours ago Iran sentences two journalists to jail time for ‘conspiracy’ and ‘collusion’ * 4 hours ago ToI podcastDaily Briefing Sept. 3: Why the PM dropped a 2018 deal for Eritrean asylum seekers * 4 hours ago Netanyahu heads to Cyprus for talks with Cypriot, Greek leaders * 5 hours ago AG approves Levin’s request for independent counsel in judicial selection panel case * 5 hours ago Tel Aviv school principal resigns as board bans student event on refusing IDF draft * 6 hours ago After 9 months without high-level visits, FM Cohen heads to Bahrain * 6 hours ago Some 40 still hospitalized after Eritrean migrant riots, 12 in serious condition * 7 hours ago In first, head of Moroccan senate to make official visit to Knesset on Thursday * 8 hours ago 123 Holocaust experts: Gov’t attack on Yad Vashem chief threatens memory of 6 million See All Latest Blogs * Kally Rubin Kislowicz The Amazing Race partner * Itzchak Evan-Shayish Rav Kook On Elul: Tshuva-Returnin... * Orna Raz Shabbat 35th in Kaplan: Goodwill,... * Richard E. 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TOI ORIGINAL VIDEO INTO THE LAND: DEAD SEA WALKING Full Coverage What Matters Now * What Matters Now to counselor Yishai Mogilner: Being an Israeli at a US summer camp By Jessica Steinberg * What Matters Now to journalist Adam Rasgon: The future of the Palestinian Authority By Jacob Magid * What Matters Now to author Oren Kessler: 1936 Palestine’s missed peace deal By Amanda Borschel-Dan See All Full Coverage Liveblog * Attorney general asks court to strike down law curtailing oversight of government By Joshua Davidovich * US defends Yad Vashem chair amid coalition’s efforts to remove him By ToI Staff * Netanyahu expected to meet Biden in New York September 21 on sidelines of UN assembly By ToI Staff See All Full Coverage ToI Original Video * Into the Land: A Tale of Two Cities * Into the Land: The Forgery Scandal * Into the Land: Dead Sea Walking See All Full Coverage Israeli judicial overhaul * AG approves Levin’s request for independent counsel in judicial selection panel case By Jeremy Sharon * Tel Aviv school principal resigns as board bans student event on refusing IDF draft By ToI Staff * ‘They dare accuse the IDF of working for terrorists’: 35th week of overhaul rallies By ToI Staff See All Tales of the Times The quirky, improbable, infuriating and uplifting * Such a simcha Adam Sandler’s new Bat Mitzvah movie highest rated of actor’s career By Gabe Friedman * Get a whiff of this Scientists recreate ‘scent of eternity’ used in embalming Egyptian mummies By ToI Staff * Car horns Nebraska man pulled over with giant bull riding shotgun By Josh Funk * Moonstruck Rare blue supermoon dazzles stargazers around globe By Marcia Dunn * Comeback kid Soccer’s Ronaldinho set to feature in 2 Barça legends games in Israel By ToI Staff * 'Tel Aviv, we love you' Imagine Dragons performs to sold-out crowd at Yarkon Park By Jessica Steinberg * Imagine Dragons warmup band AJR tours Israel ahead of Tuesday show By Jessica Steinberg * Finding Nessie Largest hunt for Loch Ness monster in decades sets off By STUART GRAHAM * Teach a man to raise fish Israeli-Palestinian aquaculture farm wraps up pilot program By Gianluca Pacchiani * Takes two to tango Gal Gadot viral in Argentina for desire to work with local director By Juan Melamed * Soft landing India becomes 4th nation to put spacecraft on the moon By ASHOK SHARMA * Hidden history Owner of former nightclub in Poland discovers mikveh in basement By jacob gurvis * Made in Japan US expat brings Jewish comfort food to Tokyo’s hip culinary scene By Jordyn Haime * A bit of fluff Gaza’s first cat cafe offers distraction for enclave’s residents By Agencies * Film frenzy Films nominated for Israeli Oscars to get special screenings By Jessica Steinberg * Wonderful Gal Gadot’s ‘Heart of Stone’ tops Netflix charts in 6 Arab countries By ToI Staff * Still getting out there Murdoch said dating Roman Abramovich’s former mother-in-law By ToI Staff * Quite the trip Janet Yellen says she ate hallucinogenic mushroom dish in China By Stuart Winer * On the map National Library expands cartographic holdings with 400 rare maps By Jessica Steinberg * Capital education Sam Spiegel included in Hollywood Reporter top 15 film school list By Jessica Steinberg Scroll to view more * home * Israel & the Region * Jewish Times * Israel Inside * The Blogs * Tech Israel * Real Estate Israel * daily edition * terms and conditions * privacy policy * about us * advertise with us * Jobs at The Times of Israel * contact us * facebook * twitter subscribe to the daily edition submit Community * Join our community * Sign in © 2023 The Times of Israel, all rights reserved Concept, design & development by Powered by Never miss breaking news on Israel Get notifications to stay updated Stay updated No thanks You're subscribed close popup Register for free and continue reading Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. 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