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Daybreak: Settlers Burn West Bank Mosque

Plus White House party controversy, Madoff gets some respect, and more in the news

by
Marc Tracy
December 11, 2009

• West Bank settlers vandalized and then set fire to a mosque in a Palestinian village south of Nablus. [JPost]
• The White House Hanukkah party, scheduled for December 16, has been the subject of controversy over its guest list, its self-declared status of “holiday party,” and other issues, much to the consternation of administration officials. [NYT]
• In his North Carolina prison, Bernard Madoff has made friends—with whom he plays chess, checkers, and bocce—and even earned respect. “To every con artist, he is the godfather, the don,” a fellow resident says. [WSJ]
• At the Conservative movement’s annual convention, a new move for internal reform began to stir in earnest. [Haaretz]
• Columnist David Brooks digs into Hanukkah’s history for a lesson about the complex moral issues raised by legitimate self-defense. [NYT]

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.