Cliff Savren

Columnist at Columbus Jewish News

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Articles

Israel a happy place to live

1 week ago | clevelandjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

In many ways, Israel is in a horrible situation. The war with Hamas has been dragging on for more than a year-and-a-half with no conclusion in sight. Fifty-nine hostages, fewer than half of whom are still believed to be alive, remain in Gaza. And after a hiatus of sorts due to the war, the current government is charging full steam ahead to try to undermine the gatekeepers of Israeli democracy – the Supreme Court, the attorney general’s office and the Shin Bet security agency.
What does Wiz acquisition mean for Israel?

3 weeks ago | clevelandjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

Amid a war between Israel and Hamas that has now been going on with varying intensity for a year and a half and intensifying efforts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to eliminate the few legal limitations on its power, there was news of a different sort last month that is also at the heart of the Israeli reality. Google announced that it is buying Wiz, a five-year-old Israeli cloud security startup, for $32 billion.
Friend, or agent of chaos?

1 month ago | clevelandjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

I find that the older I get, the easier it is to speak my mind. I thought about that recently while watching a speech by former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who is 91 and left office as prime minister in 2003. The speech came at a fraught time for Canada, after President Donald Trump unleashed a merciless trade war against the country on baseless grounds – part of a larger campaign against America’s other close allies.
We owe it to them

1 month ago | clevelandjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

In January, I wrote a Columbus Jewish News column in which I quoted an op-ed piece written by Yocheved Lifshitz, an elderly resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz who was abducted to Gaza along with her husband, Oded, in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Yocheved Lifshitz was released a few weeks after her abduction, but her husband remained in captivity. “I hope Oded returns,” she wrote in January.
Each hostage release brings its own challenges

2 months ago | clevelandjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

Since the ceasefire and hostage-release agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Jan. 19, there have been weekly releases of small numbers of Israeli hostages on Saturday mornings, followed later the same day by the release of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are hardcore convicted terrorists. It would be wrong to call the new Saturday ritual a routine. Every week brings unique drama, and Israelis know the personal stories of each hostage before they are handed over. On Feb.
Israel’s conflicts continue to reflect history

2 months ago | clevelandjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

I began reading Oren Kessler’s book “Palestine 1936” last fall and had to put it down. It wasn’t that it was bad. It’s a wonderful book for anyone seeking to understand the roots in the 1930s of the conflict with the Palestinians. But it hit too close to home. It was as if the situation of the Jews in Israel in 2024 had reverted to the Jewish vulnerability of 1936 Palestine.
Israel’s conflicts continue to reflect history

2 months ago | columbusjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

I began reading Oren Kessler’s book “Palestine 1936” last fall and had to put it down. It wasn’t that it was bad. It’s a wonderful book for anyone seeking to understand the roots in the 1930s of the conflict with the Palestinians. But it hit too close to home. It was as if the situation of the Jews in Israel in 2024 had reverted to the Jewish vulnerability of 1936 Palestine.
As hostages released, families’ anguish obvious

Jan 22, 2025 | clevelandjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

The implementation of a ceasefire and hostage deal designed to secure the release from Gaza of the remaining hostages who were abducted from Israeli border communities on Oct.7, 2023 is underway. Roughly half of them are still believed to be alive. The country was euphoric when the first three hostages, all young women, were released in accordance with the deal.
As hostages released, families’ anguish obvious

Jan 22, 2025 | columbusjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

The implementation of a ceasefire and hostage deal designed to secure the release from Gaza of the remaining hostages who were abducted from Israeli border communities on Oct.7, 2023 is underway. Roughly half of them are still believed to be alive. The country was euphoric when the first three hostages, all young women, were released in accordance with the deal.
Consider visiting Israel this year

Jan 8, 2025 | clevelandjewishnews.com | Cliff Savren

When I fly back to Israel after visiting family and friends in the United States, it’s always a pleasure to talk to people seated near me who are visiting Israel for the first time. There’s a sense of wonder and expectation that I think few other countries can match.