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Steven A. Hemmat

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Aug 31, 2016, 7:43 AM

The New York Times, bromides and dying children

bro·mide brōmīd/ noun; plural noun: bromides A trite and unoriginal idea or remark, typically intended to soothe or placate. Example: "feel-good bromides create the illusion of problem solving." This past Sunday morning I read a Sunday editorial by the New York Times Editorial...

Jan 4, 2016, 6:33 AM

The Unbroken Glass

Today, the 22nd day of Tevet, marks the seventh Meldatho (Ladino for Askara/Yahrzeit) for my grandmother Gorgieh bat Simcha. She lived a long life. Because birth records were not kept in Baghdad at that time, we estimate that she...

Oct 23, 2015, 12:33 AM

On the precipice

At the time of this writing, there have been 40 stabbings, 4 shootings, 5 car rammings and numerous stonings since the latest Arab violence commenced around Rosh Hashanah. The heinous murder of Eitam and Na’ama Henkin, shot as they...

Aug 26, 2015, 11:59 PM

Matisyahu, BDS and the Sephardic Jews

The popular Jewish American singer Matisyahu made it into the news this past week after he was disinvited and then reinvited back to perform at the Rototom Sunsplash festival, an annual reggae event held on the Spanish Mediterranean coast....

Jul 17, 2015, 9:28 AM

The Secret Annex 6 to the Nuclear Agreement with Iran

Much ink (and many gigabytes) have been spilled commenting on the recently signed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the P5 + 1 World powers and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Until now, this agreement comprised of the...

Jul 9, 2015, 1:05 AM

“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it”

Imagine a regional power arming proxy militias and terrorist groups to attack an ally of the United States, such as Luxembourg. Further consider that this same regional power seeks to develop the technology to arm itself with nuclear weaponry. ...

Jul 6, 2015, 10:01 PM

CNN attacks Israel (again)

In a recent feature article entitled, "Last chance to see: 25 magnificent structures on the verge of extinction," CNN reporter Jacopo Prisco lists the 6th century Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem as the number one endangered structure. Why?...

Jul 2, 2015, 2:04 AM

The Homestead Initiative for Israel

Israel is suffering from a major affordable housing crisis. Earlier this year, Israel's State Comptroller Joseph Shapira released a scathing report on the country's housing crisis, blaming the escalating housing costs on government inadequacies and a stifling bureaucracy. The 294...

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About Me

Steve Hemmat is an attorney in private practice in Seattle, Washington, where he has held several leadership roles in local Jewish institutions and is an alumnus of a Tikvah Fund workshop. Formerly with the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Justice, Steve has a deep interest in Israel and the welfare of the Jewish people. His wife, Rachely, is a native of Israel, and he has three children. He can be reached at steve.hemmat@gmail.com.