By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –A new Wikileaks document is being spun by some media to imply something critical about Israel’s policy in the Gaza Strip. In fact, the secret cable shows the exact opposite. It also shows that what I’ve been writing on the subject was 100 percent accurate. The U.S. State Department cable […]
Wikileaks document shows Israel’s wisdom in dealing with Gaza Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement, criticizing the Knesset’s recent approval of a commission of inquiry into Israeli non-governmental organizations focused on issues of human rights and civil society: “J Street strongly objects to the Knesset’s approval of a commission of inquiry into Israeli human rights and
J Street protests Israel Knesset’s commission of inquiry Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The West is tilting to the political right. The US Congress, the governing coalition in the UK, the domination of the Conservative prime minister in Canada as well as the political constellations in many European countries all point in the same direction. Israel is no exception. Even the centrist Kadima party
Lieberman’s investigation of NGO funding sources smacks of McCarthyism Read More »
Middle East(Editor’s Note: San Diego Jewish World columnist Ira Sharkansky also has written a column refuting the Palestinian-spawned atrocity story mentioned below) By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — What happens when the New York Times publishes, with no investigation, an atrocity story about Israel that is not only false but ridiculously so, based on the most obvious
Western media fail to verify atrocity stories from the Palestinians Read More »
Barry Shaw, Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastHAIFA, Israel (Press Release)–An impressive crowd of leading Israeli business executives attended the University of Haifa’s Business Leaders Forum annual gala event on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at which Israeli businessman and industrialist Dov Lautman, founder of Delta Galil Industries, received the University of Haifa’s Business Leaders Forum award. The award was given in recognition of
Lautman: Education gap more worrysome for Israel than Iran threat Read More »
Middle EastBEER-SHEVA, Israel (Press Release)– The 161st Flight School graduation ceremony took place last week in which the new Israeli Air Force pilots earned their ‘wings’ and a bachelor’s degree from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). The IAF Flight School is widely considered to be the most prestigious and challenging path in the Israel Defense
Another Israeli Air Force cadet class graduates from Ben-Gurion University Read More »
Middle East“The easiest way to solve a problem is to deny it exists.” –Isaac Asimov By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Go read Melanie Phillips in her analysis of what’s going on in the world. While she focuses on the demonization of Israel and the bizarre distortion of Middle East realities in the West, her
Did 1984 arrive 27 years later? Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM (Press Release)—U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano on Tuesday met bilaterally with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Israeli Finance Minister Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich, to discuss the ongoing partnership between the United States and Israel, threats from terrorism that both countries face,
U.S., Israel discuss restricting chemicals needed to make I.E.D.’s Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Remember Muhammad al-Durrah? He was the boy in an iconic Palestinian video claiming that his father had not succeeded in sheltering him from the fire directed at him by Israeli soldiers in late September, 2000. Subsequent inquiries established that the video was edited in a way to hide the possibility that the
Palestinians cook up another phony Israeli atrocity story Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — A strike by civil servants is unusual enough, but work stoppage by employees of a country’s ministry for foreign affairs is particularly so. Yet that’s what’s happening at present in Israel. Being, as usual, ignorant of the facts I allow myself to guess that there’s more to it than
Foreign affairs ministry strikers may be seeking to derail Lieberman Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM (Press Release)—U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano on Monday traveled to Israel, meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Dan Meridor, and Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz to discuss threats from terrorism and the ongoing security partnership between the United States and Israel. “Protecting against
Napolitano discusses anti-terrorism defenses with top officials in Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The Israel-Palestinian conflict is at least a century old, although it was not described clearly in its present terms before 1948, or perhaps 1967. It has had periods of sporadic violence, organized mayhem, and most recently a campaign of Palestinians and their friends to achieve politically what they could
Prospects for Palestinian state recede–thanks to Palestinians Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM– If before we came to Jerusalem last month I harboured notions about the possibility of a comprehensive and early peace between Israel and the Palestinians, I abandoned them once I tried to follow events here, this time not from afar but at least geographically closer to the action. All the official
Middle East fictions often invented to appease U.S. policy makers Read More »
Middle East, Travel and FoodBy Barry Rubin JERUSALEM–Israelis are known for being gloomy about the political situation. In fact, they generally enjoy criticizing things (themselves above all). As a result, Israel’s enemies often make the mistake of underestimating the country’s ability to endure, struggle, and prevail. A typical example came in a recent Arab newspaper article that claims the
Ha’aretz finds the gray lining in every silvery cloud Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle East