Middle East

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — As a confirmed incrementalist, I’m not a great fan of the conventional occasions for summing up, asking where we are, and where we are going. As an Israeli plugged in to international networks, the obvious times for such stuff come as we approach January 1, or א’ בתשרי , i.e.,

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Choosing among 34 political parties is much simpler than it may first appear. The first step is deciding who you are, and what is important to you. The second step is to avoid wasting time thinking about 20 or so parties beyond the edge of reality. It is easiest for the

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Politics is serious business. It is how societies move from disputes about issues large and small to the selection of their leaders, choices between public policy alternatives, and the actual implementation of what government does. Politics is also theater. It provides the platforms for the best and most bizarre actors

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Should Israelis worry about a lack of public support? For some time now we have not been popular with the crowds of Western Europe. Overall sentiment in the United States remains favorable, but not in the liberal wing of the Democratic party. Thomas Friedman writes about the contrast between Israeli

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A considerable portion of the world is being nasty to Israel.   The list of governments inviting the Israeli ambassador in their capital city to the halls of their foreign ministry for a drubbing includes virtually all of the European worthies, along with Australia and Brazil. The list may be