By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israelis went to bed expecting the Knesset to finalize arrangements to dissolve itself and declare a national election for September 4th. We woke to the news that Benyamin Netanyahu and Shaul Mofaz (who recently defeated Tzipi Livni in a party election to be the leader of Kadima) had agreed […]
Kadima joins Likud in a surprise super-coalition Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ankie Spitzer WEST NYACK, N.Y. — At the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, eleven members of the Israeli team were murdered. For forty years their families have asked the International Olympic Committee to observe a minute of silence, in their memory. Please help us by signing our petition. I am the wife of Andrei
IOC urged to schedule minute of silence for slain Israeli athletes Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, delivered on an icy-cold, blue-skied January morning in 1961, is best-remembered for its iconic declaration: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Yet the final phrase uttered by the young leader
As JFK put it, U.S. has ‘God’s work’ to do Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Benyamin Netanyahu is sitting pretty with Israeli voters. Recent polls make him a sure bet to repeat as prime minister. Not so simple is his standing within his own party. While his leadership is likely to be secure, there are enough signs of right-wing opposition to provide some worry. They
Netanyahu feels sting of right-wing and religious opponents in Likud Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Years ago, at the beginning of my career as a political scientist, I learned about incrementalism. That describes the gradual changes that generally occur in government. I made my contribution to the subject by examining government spending. I found that governments that spent more or less, and were more or less
Change in Middle East, like the U.S., comes incrementally Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — The violent, churning, musical, rebellious, and ultimately frightening 1960s came to a shocking and bloody coda 42 years ago today, May 4, 1970. In what remain cloaked and mysterious details, armed Ohio National Guardsmen suddenly opened fire, in the open air and under sunny skies, upon a
Thoughts on the anniversary of the Kent State massacre Read More »
USABy Evelyn Gordon WASHINGTON, D.C. –“Credible experts,” wrote New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in March, “overwhelmingly” view an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities as “a catastrophically bad idea,” deeming the benefits uncertain and the consequences dire: An effective strike would require multiple “sorties over many days,” and an attack on that scale could
Israeli attack on Iran nuclear facilities would be lower profile than one by U.S. Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israeli voters appear ready to renew the lease of Benyamin Netanyahu on the Prime Minister’s Office. A poll reported in Ha’aretz shows a near majority (48 percent) favoring him as Prime Minister. The aggregate support of his three nearest competitors do not match him: 15 percent prefer Shelli Yehemovich of Labor,
Netanyahu seems assured to retain prime minister’s office Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –There is a lesson in the reports of Barack Obama’s visit with the President of Afghanistan a year after bin Laden’s killing. As reported by the BBC: “US President Barack Obama has pledged to ‘finish the job’ and end the Afghan war, addressing the US public live from a military base
Under diplomatic cover, U.S. will abandon Afghanistan Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — At one time, a mantra of American politics was that politics stops at the water’s edge. Then there was Vietnam. Long before Vietnam there was considerable dispute about entering World War I. Irish immigrants were prominent among those not wanting to risk themselves for Great Britain. When the next
Neither for U.S., Israel does partisanship end at water’s edge Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –What some seem to regard as bad news for Israel may, in fact, bode well for its future. I’m referring to the uproar in the country and abroad following the very public criticism by Yuval Diskin, the former head of internal security, when he spoke of the “messianic” scaremongering about
Three items of good news for Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — It is no surprise that one reads in today’s international headlines: “Leading candidate in Egypt presidential race calls Israel peace accord ‘dead and buried.’” [The New York Times]. Amr Moussa, running ahead in the polls, spoke to a large rally in southern Egypt. He took the opportunity
British trade union council’s anti-Semitism ‘Cristal-clear’ Read More »
International
By Sandy Golden SAN DIEGO — Where else but in Israel can you find an entire wall made of Jerusalem stone, a replica of the Dead Sea Scrolls on permanent display, and information about Israel’s 2500-year history and also its modern rebirth and amazing achievements during the past 63 years? It’s hard to believe, but
Sequel to Israel festival planned at House of Israel Read More »
Middle East, San Diego CalendarBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 37th anniversary of the fall of Saigon today is a good time to review the utility of American security promises — including those purchased with American blood — to countries fighting ideologically based insurgencies. There were 540,000 Americans in Vietnam at the peak of the U.S. part of
Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan… is there a pattern here? Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA