Middle East

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The New Year has begun and Yom Kippur is behind us. Two prominent issues  wait for treatment: peace with the Palestinians and a response to domestic  social protest. The Prime Minister says that he is working hard to achieve both  goals. Optimists are asking themselves if they can expect decisive […]

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — For some time now, Israeli news has been leading off with the latest comments from international worthies about the need for Israel and Palestinians to agree on two states etc etc. This morning an American friend sent me a link to a Time article about the distancing of young American

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– The New York Times deserves its place as one of the best newspapers of the world. Like the actions of some of American presidents, however, its commentary on the Middle East seems to reflect more ideology than cogent analysis. Thomas Friedman and Roger Cohen have been blathering on for years about

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A friend forwarded to me a sermon that Rabbi Schlomo Lewis of Atlanta delivered a year ago on Rosh Hashana. A bit of Googling showed that the sermon has circulated widely. It is as strong a statement as I have seen comparing Radical Islam to Nazism, and comparing the widespread

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Nothing new or dramatic in the highly touted speeches by Abbas and Netanyahu, and nothing promising or threatening in the prodding to negotiations announced after the speeches by the Quartet of minders: US, UN, Russia, European Union. Abbas repeated himself time and again, and Netanyahu seemed tired and off the

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Barack Obama demonstrated once again that he knows how to speak. In the process, he may have regained some of the Jewish money and votes that he lost by his earlier tilts toward Palestinians, and demanding an end to construction in Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Israeli commentators called it the warmest speech

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — This is an auspicious time and place, appropriate for the awarding of two commendations. To employ the language of Genesis, this is first day (יום ראשון). It begins a week that will have the natural wonder of the autumn equinox, and the political wonder of the United Nations General Assembly.

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — For anyone inclined to think of the Jews as inordinately concerned about their past and future, Israel is currently providing all the reinforcement necessary. It’s not quite the case that the country is in full panic. There are two items–quite different from one another–that are taking large shares of media