By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Before Israel sat in the UN dock facing Mahmoud Abbas, a man who denied the Holocaust in his doctoral dissertation and denies the link between Jews, the land of Israel, and Jerusalem, the Israeli government said the Palestinian statehood gambit would not be cost free. The UN pronounced itself open […]
U.N.’s 1975 disgrace repeats itself Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy 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
‘Pushy’ Israelis, assimilated U.S. Jews, and a goat in the tent Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C–Iran has made common cause with similarly nasty countries around the world to promote an anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-Western agenda. This includes the transfer of weapons as well as the training of terrorists who return to their places of origin ready and able to blow themselves up. While the U.S. focuses
Those good friends in Sudan of the anti-Israel crowd Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy 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
Will Obama take political revenge on Netanyahu? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By J. Zel Lurie DEL RAY BEACH, Florida — The most important fact about the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is that it was announced in Cairo by an American and an Egyptian, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. The Israeli and Hamas representatives were nowhere in sight. Here is
A short history of the recent Gaza conflict Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East
By Isaac Yetiv, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — This time, Hamas launched 1,500 rockets that killed six Jews and injured many more, and Israel retaliated. And, as usual, this deadly exchange of fire ended with a “ceasefire,” mediated by some do-gooders, that allows the terrorists to replenish their arsenals with more advanced longer- ranged missiles,
Gaza cease fire made no military sense Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — A.B. Yehoshua, the renowned Israeli novelist, playwright, and thinker, fiercely independent and deeply rooted in the marrow of Jerusalem, wrote an article Monday for the Op-ed page of Ha’aretz. He declared that the time has come for Israel to talk with Hamas—something whispered about by many people on
Novelist Yehoshua says Israel should negotiate with Hamas Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks is a classic story of a family that opens with a great celebration of wealth and success and proceeds to its downfall. From what we are hearing from reliable sources, that is the model likely to develop after Mahmoud Abbas’ celebrations for achieving Palestinian statehood from the
As P.A. celebrates ‘statehood,’ its assets dwindle Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Scarcely a day after the UN General Assembly voted to name Palestine a state, and Israeli officials said they would not mete out a punishment for their neighbor’s chutzpah, the punishment came. The government approved construction of 3,000 housing units in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and made reference to
What are Israel’s motives in announcing E-1 construction? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –Twenty-four years ago, almost to the day, in 1988, I stood in a large hall in Algeria and saw Yasir Arafat declare the independence of a Palestinian state. And that was forty-one years, almost to the day, after the UN offered a Palestinian state in 1947. Twelve years ago Israel
The real meaning of Palestine’s ‘statehood’ Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — A biblical story tells of a prophet-for-hire name Balaam. The professional seer was engaged by a regional king, Balak, who was anxious about the approaching Israelite nation that had been freed from Egypt. Balaam was paid a sizable amount of silver and engaged to climb up, observe the
Here’s some observation material for Palestine Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Politics is a trait of advanced civilization. It allows dispute on the way to voting or some other way of deciding. Politics aspires to nonviolent resolutions of disagreements about who should be a leader, or what should be public policy. Politics is not always pretty or admirable. Sometimes it reaches a level
Coping is a required skill in Middle Eastern politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C –Before a radio interview this week, the host sent a list of questions that might arise. The answer to an extraordinary number of them was, “Because they could.” Because bad actors were reasonably sure no one (read: United States) would protest and even more sure no one would stop them.
Israel applies logic to Middle East options Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — The tumultuous events of the Middle East may continue to reverberate from the insecurity and tribal impulses of men addicted with power and politics. But on the ground, and too often in the earth, remain the persons who actually settle these spiraling bursts of biblical conflict and apocalyptic
Let us preserve the children of the Middle East Read More »
Middle East