By Jay Shapiro JERUSALEM — Almost everyone seems to agree that the Iranian nuclear weapons project should be stopped. Preferably through economic sanctions against Iran, but if that doesn’t work, then military means will have to be used. But if a military operation is required, should it be carried out by the United States or […]
Should Israel preemptively attack Hezbollah’s rocket sites? Read More »
Middle East
By Judy Lash Balint JERUSAELM — Back in March 2003 when Rachel Corrie was killed while trying to prevent Israel from clearing ground to expose terrorist hiding places, I interviewed several International Solidarity Movement (ISM) people who were present in Rafiah that day. Having lived for many years in Washington State where Corrie attended
Why Israel’s court found against the Corrie family Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —One of my favorite lines from Simon and Garfunkel’s greatest hits reads: Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you (Woo, woo, woo) What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away (Hey, hey, hey…hey, hey, hey)
Why no condemnation of Abbas’s Jerusalem comments? Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– Israeli courts dealt with two separate cases on Tuesday that touched related features central to the country’s history and–perhaps–to its future. In one, a lower court in Haifa dismissed a suit by the parents of Rachel Corrie, seeking to force Israel to admit responsibility for her death on a battlefield in Gaza
Corrie and Migron cases challenge Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The government of South Africa has defined the State of Israel as not including Beersheva, Yad Mordechai, Acco, Afula, and Nahariya. It creates an “Arab Enclave” in Jaffa not governed by Israel. It reduces the borders of Israel in two places to points on a map — one in
South African BDS – or Just BS? Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –The status of nuclear weapons in Israel bears some tantalizing resemblance to the status of the Almighty in Judaism. Those concerned with the history and role of God can click here, and continue further for as many years as the interest or life continues. It is risky in the extreme to summarize
Two names not used,that of God and Israel’s nuclear weapon Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Evelyn Gordon WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last month, the Palestinian Authority (PA) took the rare step of publicly voicing concern over the fate of Palestinians living in Syria. About 300 (out of a population of over 500,000) have already been killed, PA officials said, and with some Palestinians supporting the Assad government while others
Palestinians prefer to undermine Israel than to help own people Read More »
Middle EastBy 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 EastBy 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 EastBy 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