By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — In all the noise coming out of the White House and key spots in other governments, it is hard to know what is serious, and what is meant to soothe an audience of greater or lesser importance. The latest mystery concerns a warning from Barack Obama himself against Syria’s […]
Iran’s nuclear weapons–not Syria’s chemicals–are cause for big worry Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — One problem is that too many extraneous people, agencies, synagogue officials, evangelicals, ambitious US office-seekers, Israeli legislators, and—in some cases—our own parents and grandparents, are telling us what to think. The other problem is that a generally small element of “the Jews” (a famously fractious and contentious people
What do Jews really think of Palestinians? Read More »
Middle EastBy Gerald M. Steinberg/JNS.org RAMAT GAN, Israel (JNS) –Given Iran’s illicit drive for nuclear weapons and penchant for anti-Semitism and hatred, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon—who is going to Tehran for the Aug. 26 conference of the “non-aligned movement”—should have avoided the fate of former UN Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and stayed away from the
Tehran’s ‘Non-Aligned’ Conference: Another U.N. Debacle? Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The head of the U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff caused a mini-row in Israel by remarks about Israel’s capacity to deal with Iran’s nuclear program. According to one view on a prominent Israeli web site. “Once every few years Israel needs a slap in the face to remember where it
‘Iran gap’ between U.S. and Israel seen as widening Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –We can imagine a conversation, not too far from here, among people more important than us, about an Israeli attack on Iran and the American presidential election. Among the questions likely to be debated Will the attack lead Obama and Romney to compete in what they offer to Israel, with the
The political calculus of an attack on Iran Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Hatred and xenophobia are two of the oldest diseases afflicting the human condition. For many people living in unenlightened societies, hatred of the Other is almost as natural as mother’s milk. Jewish history bears witness to how our adversaries have vilified us, dehumanized us, persecuted us,
Anti-Arabism as sinful as anti-Semitism Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Egypt has moved forces into the Sinai beyond what was agreed to in the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. Getting them in wasn’t that difficult – Israel agrees that security in the Sinai has deteriorated. Getting them out again later may be another matter. And how the U.S. positions itself
U.S. helping Egypt re-arm in the Sinai Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –In almost 40 years of studying these issues, I’ve never seen a better case study of mass media bias and knee-jerk narrowness than an aspect of the current flap about what presidential candidate Mitt Romney said during his trip to Israel. I’m going to focus on a single point because
Media adopts Palestinian talking points as their own Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–“Anybody but Peres” was the slogan in the Knesset when the Members were choosing between presidential candidates Shimon Peres and Moshe Katzav in 2000. Katzav received 63 votes to Peres’ 57. Some MKs who had promised their support to Peres voted for Katzav. Seven years later, it was clear that “Anybody but
Did Peres anger Bibi, or are they play-acting? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Yaakov Lappin WASHINGTON, D.C. — Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi delivered a severe blow to the Egyptian military’s political ambitions this week, and sent clear message to Egypt and beyond: his civilian Islamist government is now in charge. Taking advantage of widespread shock in Egypt over the brutal gunning down of 15 Egyptian soldiers by
Morsi shows Egyptian military he’s in charge Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —Irony I feel, is a very high form of morality. — JEAN STAFFORD This morning I received an email about how the Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh turns to Israel when his family needs medical attention. I know of very few countries that live by the ethic
Hamas chief’s brother-in-law went to Israel for treatment Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky BERGEN, Norway — Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to file away last month’s report by a committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy, which endorsed an Israeli view of international law that Yehuda and Samaria (the West Bank) are not “occupied territories,” insofar as they never were the possession of
Israeli policy makers preoccupied by other nations’ opinions Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Danny Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan– When ETTV reporter Claire Su [舒夢蘭] of Taiwan flew to Israel last June with a camera crew and producer in tow, she had no idea what to expect from her first visit to the Holy Land, but she returned to Taipei with fond memories of the people she met
Taiwan TV does a first travel documentary on Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Israeli politics is currently more a muddle than usual. Leaving aside the knotty problem of defining the “left,” two newspapers identified with the Israeli and American Jewish left have published reports that define the problem of the left. Ha’aretz headlined a survey of Israelis finding that about half the adult population identify
Israeli left unable to capitalize on Netanyahu’s flaws Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East