By Dov Hartuv KIBBUTZ NAHAL OZ, Israel — Places and people have their names changed from time to time. Kibbutz Nahal Oz was originally established as an army outpost in 1951. At that time the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel was just a ploughed furrow to demark where Egypt ended and Israel began. […]
Hebrew place names and people’s names often come with stories Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — When the pioneers of modern Zionism wanted a homeland that became the State of Israel to be a country like all other countries so that Jews could again be a “normal” people, they didn’t dream that they’d also be as racist as elsewhere in the world. Though it’s by
Racism has become a lamentable fact of Israeli life Read More »
Middle East
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — For several years I’ve been telling you that under its current Islamist regime, Turkey has become less and less of a democratic state. Hundreds of peaceful dissidents have been arrested, thrown in prison, and accused of seeking to overthrow the government violently when there is no real evidence. The
Turkey moving, moving toward Islamism Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Judging a prominent politician who is also a skilled showperson is like putting on a blindfold and attempting to judge a beauty contest. One can ask for advice, listen to the contestants, maybe even touch their faces. Yet a lot will be missing. Any decision to be made will be risky in
Bibi’s politics: feint, bluster and maneuver Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel–As I’ve reported, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is horrified by White House policies in the Middle East. Indeed, he has an extra reason for being upset since it is his military forces that have to manage the Libyan mess while simultaneously fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while, on top
U.S. miscalculations make another Israel-Gaza war inevitable Read More »
Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The recent murder of five members of a family in the settlement of Itamar, the continued rocket barrage deep into the Negev, and now an explosion in the centre of Jerusalem that took the life of a woman from Britain and injured many seem to have prompted partisan interpretations
Violence in Israel seems intended to ward off possibility of peace Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –The headline on the Associated Press story caught my eye immediately: “Thousands of Palestinians rally for reconciliation.” I always look for stories that contradict my assumptions so that I can examine or change them if necessary. According to the headline, this might be an important new–and positive–development. So, did thousands
Palestinians rallying for ‘reconciliation’ mean with Hamas Read More »
Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The international media is filled with material on Libya and Japan, with no clear news on either. The Japan disaster is still short of apocalyptic, but not beyond catastrophe. The worrying news about Libya is that the British Prime Minister and his Chief of the Defense Staff have different war aims, while
Tensions ratchet up on Israel’s border with Gaza Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Moshe Katsav served for almost seven years as the president of the State of Israel. He resigned a short time before his term was up due to bad behaviour: the rape and related charges for which he was convicted some time ago and sentenced on Tuesday, March 22.. The sentence is
Katzav prison sentence affirms Israel’s respect for women Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — A correspondent wrote to ask if of late there have been any rockets coming from Gaza to Sderot and other places in Israel’s south. He was astounded that only on one day last week some fifty fell and there have been attacks every day since. Why this flare-up? As I’m
Missiles are falling again in Sderot Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — So constant are the lies told in mass media coverage of Israel-Palestinian issues that it is hardly worthwhile to critique individual articles any more. Following the horrendous murder of the Fogel family, a number of Internet—but not print—writers have pointed out that various mass media institutions have either not
Western media’s bias shows in coverage of Fogel family murders Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel–When Muhamad ElBaradei tried to vote March 19 in the referendum on Egypt’s constitutional changes, he was attacked by hundreds of Islamists with stones, at least one of which hit him, and shoes. “We don’t want you,” the mob shouted. “He lives in the United States and wants to rule us.
Islamist mob attacks ElBaradei Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM– The weekly Israeli TV program, “Meet the Press” was devoted today to an extended interview with the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority in which Abu Mazen spoke persuasively about making peace with Israel. Recently, Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed similar sentiments. So why is the peace process deadlocked? To start
Abbas talks peace on Israeli TV Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel00For a comprehensive statement of current U.S. Middle East policy you can’t do better than the testimony of Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William J. Burns at the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on March 17, 2011. It’s horrifying. Here’s my summary of the key point: The United States will
U.S. Middle East policy undermines friends, strengthens enemies Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle East, USA