NEW YORK (Press Release)– To address the varied challenges posed by the planned September 2011 commemoration of the United Nations World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, known as “Durban III,” the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has created a special national committee to be chaired by Robert Sugarman, chairman […]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — It has become axiomatic in a certain part of the American political class that words matter. Even with the necessary disclaimer that the shooting in Arizona was the work of a mentally deranged man whose political reading was confined mainly to Hitler and Stalin, and was not influenced by
Do words matter? Tell that to the Palestinians! Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenLOS ANGELES (Press Release)–The following statement was issued Monday by StandWithUs, an Israeli advocacy group: In the fall of 2010, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas refused to resume direct peace negotiations with Israel. Instead, he is actively trying to abandon negotiations altogether. He has asked the international community to immediately recognize an independent Palestinian state with
Palestinian attempt at unilateral declaration of independence a blow to peace Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C — J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami issued the following statement in response to the release of over 1,600 internal documents from the last decade of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations: How many more signs are needed before the White House recognizes the need for a serious Presidential initiative to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before
J Street says ‘Palestinian papers’ prove U.S. should step up Mideast peace efforts Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — The “Palestine Papers” hoax is (or, more accurately, should be) turning into the most teachable moment about the Israel-Palestinian conflict in modern history. At least, everyone has reversed what happened: The compromise position was offered by Israel; the Palestinians rejected peace. Are we going to see this story corrected? The “Palestine
Palestinian papers published by Al Jazeera apparently a hoax Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM (WJC)–Israel’s Public Commission for Examining the Naval Incident of 31 May 2010, otherwise known as the Turkel Commission, has published the first part of its report on the May 2010 flotilla raid. It found that the actions of the IDF soldiers were “lawful and pursuant to the rules of international law,” although it alluded
Turkel Commission finds Israel acted lawfully in countering ‘Gaza Flotilla’ Read More »
Middle EastNEW YORK (WJC) — At a ceremony in New York’s Park East Synagogue, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that the denial of the Shoah was intolerable. Ban attended a ceremony marking the upcoming International Holocaust Memorial Day attended by representatives from countries including Germany, India, Poland, South Korea, Hungary and Italy. Rabbi
U.N. Secretary General says Holocaust denial is intolerable Read More »
USAJERUSALEM (WJC)–During the 2008 peace talks with the Olmert government, Palestinian negotiators were willing to leave most parts of eastern Jerusalem to Israeli control under a final peace deal, according to secret Palestinian documents leaked to the Arab TV channel ‘al-Jazeera’. Minutes detailing the concessions offered came from a meeting in Jerusalem in June 2008
Al Jazeera documents purport to show Palestinian concessions on Jerusalem, West Bank Read More »
Middle East
By Isaac Yetiv, Ph.D LA JOLLA, California — In my previous article in the series, I advised that the Federal government limits its functions to the powers enumerated in the Constitution in accordance with the tenth amendment. Health care is the example par excellence of what the federal government should not touch with a ten-foot
Keeping health care status quo will mean high penalties Read More »
USAMKs Spraying Air Fresheners in the Knesset JERUSALEM–After Ehud Bark formed his new Independence party, Knesset members ratified those who bolted the Labor party with him as members of the government. Just before Orit Noked was sworn in last Wednesday as agriculture minister, members of the opposition Kadima party pulled out air freshener cans
Video: Some political air freshener for the Knesset Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Wikileaks is infectious. Al-Jazeera has caught the bug, and released some 1,600 secret Palestinian documents, said to represent Palestinian-Israeli negotiations over more than a decade of on-again off-again talks. Some of the details suggest far reaching Palestinian concessions, but others indicate that they were not far reaching enough for
Al Jazeera publishes leaked Palestinian documents on Israel negotiations Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — We are awaiting the publication of the international tribunal report on who killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri We all know the Syrian government did it but recently there seems to have been more and more evidence that Hizballah was involved as well. The problem is that if
Who killed Hariri? Some want tribunal to answer nicely Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — A pivotal moment in Israeli political history. The Labor Party, the founding political organization of the state, ruler of the country for its first 29 years, and perennial member of government coalitions has splintered like an undercooked felafel, that is, very messily. Defense Minister and Labor party leader Ehud
The Labor party, which founded Israel, splinters into irrelevance Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Since predicting the future is hard, to say the least, it’s always interesting when one can clearly see a crisis looming months ahead of time. The usual pattern is for the impending problem to be ignored until the last minute, then it is suddenly discovered by journalists and policymakers with great
Palestinian drive in U.N. a blow to U.S. foreign policy Read More »
Middle East, USA