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Regional Turmoil Casts Shadow On Israelis’ New Year’s Eve

Israelis will celebrate the Jewish New Year with the threat of the Syrian civil war, the revolutions in Egypt and other changes in the region; next year doesn't promise more stability.
A Jewish worshipper covered in a prayer shawl blows a shofar, or a ram's horn, during prayers at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in the Old City of Jerusalem September 27, 2011, ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which starts at sundown on Wednesday. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION) - RTR2RW7H
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The first Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar, adopted son of Julius Caesar, renamed the month Sextilis “August” in his honor, because the great events that led to his rise to power occurred during this month. These included the conquest of Egypt, the death of Cleopatra, the establishment of the Pax Romana  which ended the civil wars plaguing the empire — and more. Each of these events is a good reason to name this hot summer month in honor of the man who may have been the greatest Roman leader of all — a man who left his imprimatur on that vast empire for centuries to come.

A quick glance at the month of August this year substantiates what Emperor August thought more than 2,000 years ago. August really does seem to be a month of major events. What happened this past August? A bloody civil war erupted in Egypt, with hundreds of casualties and the demise of the Muslim Brotherhood government — at least for now. In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad massacred some 1,400 people with chemical weapons, shifting the balance of power there: Where it once looked like forces loyal to him had successfully blocked the uprising with the help of Hezbollah, it now looks as if his country will face an international assault led by the United States.

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