WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)– Following are remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the swearing-in ceremony for Dan Shapiro as the new American ambassador to Israel. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much. It is such a pleasure to welcome you here to the Benjamin Franklin Room for this very happy and
Ambassador has preference for SPAM and Diet Mountain Dew Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal JERUSALEM — Having visited Jerusalem so many times, I did not think I would have anything new to share with you this week. But Israel is full of surprises. In the Holy City I saw something I have never seen before: Israeli pedestrians obeying the walk-don’t walk signals.Until now pedestrians crossed
Rabbi shares impressions of his latest Jerusalem visit Read More »
David Ogul, Middle East[Note: AFP reports that a French yacht carrying 12 pro-Palestinian activists hoping to run the Israeli blockade on Gaza was on Thursday blocked in Crete by the Greek coast guard when it stopped to refuel.] By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Nations is preparing to release its report on the 2010 Gaza flotilla
Turkey and Israel ponder U.N. report on 2010 Flotilla Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –With extraordinary economic problems and its public in a very bad mood, the Government of Greece seemed an unlikely hero in the saga of the Hamas-organized flotillas. But Greece is, indeed, the hero. While several countries – including the United States – denounced the idea of boats breaking legal Israeli-Egyptian
Greece plays hero’s role in flotilla drama Read More »
Middle East
By Dov Hartuv KIBBUTZ NAHAL OZ, Israel — At the beginning of the twentieth century the whole of Europe was in a state of flux. New ideas and new ideals were making themselves felt and the youth were bent on changing the old and ringing in the new. All doctrines and philosophies were the rage
First ‘hippies’ were kibbutzniks of early 20th century Read More »
Middle East
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Years of waiting–though leaks have been plentiful–have just about ended with the word from the international tribunal that four Hizballah officials, including the group’s deputy military commander Mustafa Badreddine were involved in killing Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafiq Hariri in February 2005. Yet Hizballah is now the leading force
Lebanese tribunal may set off new round of civil strife Read More »
Middle EastLOS ANGELES (Press Release) — Thirty-four Americans and four crew members are in Athens set to sail on the American-flagged ship The Audacity of Hope. The ship is part of the “Freedom Flotilla II,” an international flotilla organized to violate Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, allegedly to deliver humanitarian aid. StandWithUs, an international
StandWithUs urges cancellation of Gaza Flotilla Read More »
Middle EastHAIFA (Press Release)–Now there is proof: Voting in elections is stressful, even to a point that it causes hormonal changes among voters. This new study, conducted by scholars from the University of Haifa and Ben-Gurion University in Israel, has found that the level of cortisol – a hormone released when a person is under pressure
Voting is stressful, Israeli study shows Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA , Israel — In a major new development an Islamic force has arisen to challenge the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and support a more moderate regime in that country. This is a surprising opponent but the only one that could be of significance: al-Azhar University. Why is Egypt’s Islamic establishment taking on
Split deepens between Egypt’s religious establishment and Muslim Brotherhood Read More »
International, Middle East
By Isaac Yetiv, PhD LA JOLLA, California–In the last 65 years, a dozen U.S. presidents, Democrats and Republicans and more than a dozen Israeli Prime Ministers from the Left and from the Right repeatedly offered substantive concessions to the Arabs in order to reach a modus vivendi for a peaceful coexistence of Arabs and Jews
Solving refugee problem a must for Mideast peace Read More »
Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release)–The following is the text of a statement released by the Middle East Quartet (United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia) in New York on July 2, 2011: “The Quartet remains concerned about the unsustainable conditions facing the civilian population in Gaza but notes that efforts have improved conditions over the
Quartet seeks deescalation of Gaza tension Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON D.C. (Press Release) –Following remarks made by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton that the Obama Administration is now pursuing a policy of “limited contacts” with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-02), a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, Friday denounced this policy of engaging an “extremely violent Islamic fundamentalist group” saying:
3 GOP congressman criticize U.S. contacts with Muslim Brotherhood Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal TEL AVIV — Something seemed awry when I logged onto El Al’s website three months ago to select seats for our Israel bound plane: the 747 was completely booked. Our seats were already assigned and not one extra one was available. Little did we know when we booked our tickets last
Some surprises en route to and in Tel Aviv Read More »
Middle East